RNA-seq of Toxocara canis hatched third-stage larvae treated with macrocyclic lactones (IVM, MOX, and controls)

Zoonotic toxocariasis is caused by Toxocara canis (dog roundworm). We aimed to investigate the differential expression of mRNA transcripts in T. canis third-stage larvae treated with ivermectin (IVM) or moxidectin (MOX) compared to untreated controls to identify up- or downregulated genes. Using a chemical hatch protocol, we isolated larvae (n = 500 each) and subjected them to three conditions: incubation with IVM, MOX, or no treatment (controls), in biological triplicates. Adult male and female worms in biological triplicate were also used as controls. We isolated RNA from each sample with Trizol and quantified it with Qubit. We then prepared libraries using an Illumina Stranded mRNA prep kit and sequenced it on a NextSeq sequencer.