2010 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) To evaluate intestinal gene expression associated with dietary immunomodulation using phytonutrients. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Broiler chickens will be treated with various phytonutrients and their effects on avian immune response to mucosal pathogens will be evaluated using established disease parameters and various immunological assays. 3.Progress Report This trust agreement was established to develop a new strategy for delivering recombinant poultry vaccines against avian coccidiosis. Using novel immuno-modulators which are patented by the Pfizer Animal Health, various delivery methods to activate local immunity against poultry pathogens were investigated. In this reporting period, the effects of a novel adjuvant complex, QCDC, on protective immunity against avian coccidiosis following immunization with an Eimeria recombinant protein were determined. Broiler chickens were subcutaneously immunized with an immunogenic coccidia recombinant antigen, profilin which is an essential component of all Apicomplexan parasites that are involved in actin-dependent gliding motility and challenged with live E. acervulina. Body weight gains, gut lesion scores, fecal oocyst outputs, profilin serum antibody titers, lymphocyte proliferation, and intestinal cytokine transcript levels were assessed as measures of protective immunity. Chickens immunized with vaccine antigen plus QCDC showed significantly improved protection against live parasite challenge. Finally, while immunization with profilin alone or profilin plus QCDC uniformly increased the levels of intestinal transcripts encoding all cytokines examined compared with the control group, transcripts for IL-10 and IL-17A were further increased in the profilin/QCDC group compared with the antigen alone vaccinated group. In summary, this study provides the first evidence to document the immuno-enhancing activities of QCDC adjuvant in poultry. Efforts to apply this new knowledge in commercial setting is being planned. This trust agreement is monitored by monthly teleconference and written progress reports.