Splenic microRNA expression in Marek Disease Virus infected SPF white leghorn chickens at 42dpi.

The present study was undertaken to identify alterations in cellular microRNA (miRNA) expression and presence of viral miRNA in the spleens of specific-pathogen-free white leghorn chickens at 42 days post infection (dpi) with the oncogenic Marek's Disease Virus (MDV) strain MD5. Small RNA-seq (Illumina) was utilized to profile small RNA expression. Chicks were either mock-infected or infected with MD5 at 5 days of age at 42dpi spleens were collected from three mock-infected and three MDV-infected birds. Total RNA was isolated and used to generate small RNA sequencing libraries.