FGF13 and FGF14 regulate differentiation into secretory lineages in chicken intestinal organoids

To identify differentiation factors in the chicken small intestine, we established an intestinal organoid model from chicken embryos and performed single cell RNA sequencing. We classified seven cell types (stem, transit-amplifying, secretory progenitor, enterocyte, goblet, enteroendocrine, and paneth cells) using specific cell type markers.

A gene ontology analysis of differentially expressed genes showed that FGF13 and FGF14 are related to the differentiation of secretory progenitor cells into goblet cells. Of these, FGF14 decreased cell proliferation, induced differentiation into goblet cells, and reduced differentiation into enteroendocrine cells in chicken intestinal organoids. Additionally, FGF14 induced goblet cell hyperplasia, which was shown to be related to intestinal barrier dysfunction.