Transcriptomic profile of buffy coat cells from cattle inoculated with virulent or attenuated strains of Babesia bigemina

To identify differentially expressed genes associated with the immune response of cattle (Bos taurus) inoculated with two distinct strains of B. bigemina, both derived from the same Mexican field isolate. These strains exhibit distinct phenotypic characteristics: a virulent strain capable of producing acute clinical signs, and an attenuated strain capable of stimulating a protective immune response when used as an immunogen with an efficacy greater than 80%. Bovine mRNA was extracted from Buffy coat cells obtained from peripheral blood during acute Babesiosis, utilizing 6 bovines (3 per strain) inoculated with their respective strain used as biological replicates and 3 healthy and uninfected bovines used as biological replicates for control samples. Comparative analyses were conducted by utilizing the RNA-seq methodology with Illumina technology.