Gene function & annotation
Authors: Seung Je Woo (Seoul National University) , Minseok Seo (Korea University) , Tae Hyun Kim (The Pennsylvania State University) , Jae Yong Han (Seoul National University)
The chicken immune system employs alternative developmental pathways for lymphocyte generation and possesses innate immune mechanisms with significant evolutionary divergence from mammals, yet available experimental models have limited capacity to systematically interrogate these avian-specific immune features. This study aimed to establish the This study demonstrates that the RAG1-deficient chicken model serves as a powerful platform for uncovering previously uncharacterized avian lymphocyte populations and functional subsets. The identification of RAG1-independent B cell pathways with autoimmune features and two functionally conserved NK cell subsets with distinct cytotoxic and immunoregulatory phenotypes establishes this model as a valuable resource for understanding avian immune system biology, lymphocyte evolution, and developing comparative immunology approaches applicable to infectious disease resistance and autoimmune disease research.
Keywords: 2026
How to Cite: Woo, S. , Seo, M. , Kim, T. & Han, J. (2026) “Genome-edited primordial germ cell-mediated RAG1-deficient chicken reveals RAG1-indepndent B cell development and functionally conserved natural killer cell subsets”, World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production Digital Archive. 2026(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/wcgalp.23516