TNF and infection: DE genes with increased abundance in transcripts in both R. conorii and R. montanensis datasets (although at different levels) include the pro-inflammatory cytokines TNFα and IL1β, as well as the chemokines CCL20, CCL3L3, CCL3, CCL4L2, CXCL1, CXCL3, and CXCL8 that can shape the recruitment of immune cells to the site of infection (Newton and Dixit, 2012).