An Ecoimmunological Investigation of Resistance to Trypanosoma brucei in Locally Adapted Cattle Breeds Mediated by Arthropod-Derived Immune Modulators in the North Central Tsetse Belt

Trypanotolerance in certain West African cattle breeds, particularly N'Dama and Muturu, has long been recognized but the mechanistic role of arthropod-derived immune modulatory compounds from tsetse salivary secretions in modulating host trypanotolerance is poorly understood. This ecoimmunological study investigates the interaction between tsetse saliva components and immune response pathways in locally adapted cattle exposed to natural tsetse challenge in North Central Nigeria. Salivary gland proteins from Glossina palpalis and G. tachinoides collected in Kogi, Kwara, and Benue states will be characterized by proteomics and their immunomodulatory activity tested in macrophage and T-cell assays. N'Dama, Muturu, and Zebu cattle will be exposed to controlled tsetse feeding under supervised field conditions, with blood samples collected to measure trypanosome parasitemia, cytokine profiles, and antibody responses to salivary antigens over 90 days. Transcriptomic profiling of peripheral blood mononuclear cells will identify differential immune gene expression between trypanotolerant and susceptible breeds following tsetse challenge. This study makes a fundamental theoretical contribution to our understanding of the arthropod-host immune interface and its exploitation in cattle resistance breeding programs for Nigeria's livestock sector. Keywords: trypanotolerance, tsetse saliva, ecoimmunology, N'Dama cattle, North Central Nigeria