IL6 and infection: Our results showed significant differences in the expression of several cytokines (IL-6, TGF-β1, TNF-α2, IFN-γ, and IL-1α), proteins related to apoptosis (BCL2-1), or tissue destruction (MMP3-1) after the infection of BoMac cells with a bovine or an ovine isolate of Map. The bovine isolate that grew within BoMac cells was a good inducer of the apoptotic inhibitor BCL2-1 at 4 or 14 h p.i. which might cause lower levels of apoptosis than in BoMac cells infected with the ovine isolate.