Data Sheet 1_Exploiting RAG1-deficient chickens to construct a single-cell transcriptional atlas of chicken heterophils during inflammation.xlsx

However, the molecular programs governing heterophil maturation and activation remain largely unexplored.</p>Methods<p>Using single-cell RNA sequencing in a RAG1-deficient chicken model, we mapped heterophil maturation during emergency granulopoiesis and identified eight transcriptionally distinct subsets (H0–H7).

We inferred a developmental trajectory spanning transcriptionally distinct heterophil subsets, from early subsets enriched for genes associated with translational activity, oxidative phosphorylation, and survival-related programs to terminal subsets enriched for effector-associated gene signatures.</p>Results and Discussion<p>Unlike mammalian neutrophils, heterophils did not sequentially deploy canonical granule gene expression; instead, maturation was marked by progressive MMP9 upregulation.