Transcriptomic response to Borrelia afzelii infection in the skin of wild bank voles

This dataset contains RNA-seq data from ear skin samples of wild-caught bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus), a natural reservoir of Borrelia afzelii, a tick-borne spirochete and causative agent of Lyme disease in Europe. The study aimed to investigate the transcriptomic response to B. afzelii infection at the site of pathogen entry. Total RNA was extracted from ear tissues of voles and sequenced using the Illumina NovaSeq X Plus platform (PE150). Differential expression analysis and Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA), followed by enrichment analysis, revealed numerous biological processes and pathways related to immune response, extracellular matrix organization, metabolism, energy production, gene expression, and cell cycle regulation. Among immunity-related genes, pathways associated with B-cell activity and antibody production were particularly upregulated. Additionally, the pro-inflammatory response appeared suppressed compared to that reported in humans, and changes were identified in the expression of genes related to the extracellular matrix, whose products are bound and colonized by Borrelia. These data provide insight into the adaptation of wild reservoir hosts to Borrelia infection.