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Background  Bovine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease caused by the protozoan parasites of the genus  Babesia . In their host vector,  Babesia  spp. undergo sexual reproduction. Therefore, the development of sexual stages and the subsequent formation of the zygote are essential for the parasite to invade the intestinal cells of the vector tick and continue its life-cycle. HAP2/GCS1 is a protein identified in plants, protozoan parasites and other organisms that has an important role during membrane fusion in fertilization processes. The identification and characterization of HAP-2 protein in  Babesia  would be very significant to understand the biology of the parasite and to develop a transmission-blocking vaccine in the future.    Results  To isolate and sequence the  hap2  gene DNA from an infected bovine with  Babesia bigemina  was purified. The  hap2  gene was amplified, cloned and sequenced. The sequences of  hap2  from four geographically different strains showed high conservation at the amino acid level, including the typical structure with a signal peptide and the HAP2/GSC domain. Antisera anti-HAP2 against the conserved extracellular region of the HAP2 amino acid sequence were obtained from rabbits. The expression of  hap2  in the host and vector tissues was analyzed by using semi-quantitative RT-PCR, and the protein was examined by western blot and immunofluorescence. Based on the RT-PCR and WB results, HAP2 is expressed in both, sexual stages induced in vitro ,  and in infected ticks as well. We did not detect any expression in asexual erythrocytic stages of  B. bigemina , relevantly anti-HAP2 specific antibodies were able to block zygotes formation in vitro.    Conclusion    Babesia bigemina  HAP2 is expressed only in tick-infecting stages, and specific antibodies block zygote formation. Further studies regarding the function of HAP2 during tick infection may provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms of sexual reproduction of the parasite.    Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-017-2510-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Hap2, a novel gene in Babesia bigemina is expressed in tick stages, and specific antibodies block zygote formation