At both 1 and 2 days p.i., only PCGF5 knockdown increased E. chaffeensis infection significantly, but the knockdown of 25 (71%) proteins decreased the infection significantly at 1 day p.i., and the knockdown of 26 (74%) proteins negatively affected infection significantly at 2 days p.i. (Table 2). The gene discussed is PCGF5; the disease is infection.