RNA-seq of Heligmosomoides bakeri throughout infection of its mouse host

The study aims to examine the host-parasite interface between the worm Heligmosomoides bakeri and its mouse host during infection. Bulk RNA-seq of the worms separated by sex at 4 timepoints throughout infection was performed to better define the transcripts in H. bakeri and identify genes important during infection. The design enables differential gene expression analyses to be performed to identify how expression of important genes changes throughout infection and also enables study of the differences between the worm sexes. H. bakeri may be a suitable model for closely related parasitic worms of livestock that are more difficult to study owing to their need to complete their lifecycle in hosts that are too large to keep in most laboratory environments. Comparison of the host-parasite interface during infection between these closely related worms is an important step in establishing the suitability of this model.