Differentially expressed genes in the blood, spleen, and liver of Peromyscus leucopus and Mus musculus with or without treatment with lipopolysaccharide

Animals that are competent reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens commonly suffer little morbidity from the infections. To investigate mechanisms of this tolerance of infection, we used single-dose lipopolysaccharide (LPS) as an experimental model of inflammation and compared the responses by two rodents: Peromyscus leucopus, white-footed deermouse and reservoir for agents of Lyme disease and other zoonoses, and the house mouse Mus musculus. Four hours after injection with LPS or saline, blood, spleen and liver samples were collected and subjected to RNA-seq, metabolomics, and specific RT-qPCR. Differential expression analysis was at gene, pathway, and network levels. LPS-treated deermice showed similar signs of sickness as exposed mice and had similar increases in corticosterone levels and expression of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor, IL-1beta, and C-reactive protein. By network analysis the M. musculus response to LPS was characterized as cytokine-associated, while the P. leucopu...