These results showed that Robo is involved in the tick protective response to A. phagocytophilum infection, and suggested a mechanism by which pathogen infection induces isc-mir-79 overexpression targeting Robo2 to suppress or diminish protective proinflammatory responses mediated by the Slit-Robo pathway to facilitate infection (Fig. 8C). The gene discussed is ROBO2; the disease is infection.