Project description:The goal of this study was to identify and compare baseline mRNA expression levels for a set of Ixodes scapularis cell lines originally reported in Munderloh et al. 1994 Journal of Parasitology 80(4):533-43. Three unmodified I. scapularis cell lines were included in the study: ISE6, IDE2, and ISE18. In addition, one cell population modified by insertion of a transgenic cassette using Sleeping Beauty transposition was also included: ISE18SB. The ISE18SB cells are a non-clonal cell population fully enriched for expression of a DsRed fluorescent marker gene included within the transposon insertion cassette. For all replicate samples, cells were collected after reaching approximately 60% confluency under standard culture conditions, then processed for RNA-seq analysis.