As part of the WiLiMan-ID project, an ex vivo infection model based on monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) is used to study the differences in virulence among H5Nx highly pathogenic avian Influenza viruses (HPAIVs). Due to their crucial role in triggering both innate and adaptive immune responses, the early steps of chicken MoDC activation were studied 6 hours following their infection with two H5N1 HPAIV strains belonging to clades 2.3.4.4b (genotype AB) and 2.3.2.1c respectively. This approach aimed to highlight key cellular factors that could contribute to the variable virulence observed between different strains. Transcriptomic profiling of chicken MoDCs revealed more than 17,000 differentially expressed genes when compared to the mock-infected control. GO term analyses were also performed to focus on genes involved in the immune system process and the viral process.
