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Background   Babesia bovis  is one of the most significant tick-transmitted pathogens of cattle worldwide.  Babesia bovis  parasites have a complex lifecycle, including development within the mammalian host and tick vector. Each life stage has developmental forms that differ in morphology and metabolism. Differentiation between these forms is highly regulated in response to changes in the parasite’s environment. Understanding the mechanisms by which  Babesia  parasites respond to environmental changes and the transmission cycle through the biological vector is critically important for developing bovine babesiosis control strategies.    Results  In this study, we induced  B .  bovis  sexual stages in vitro using xanthurenic acid and documented changes in morphology and gene expression. In vitro induced  B .  bovis  sexual stages displayed distinctive protrusive structures and surface ruffles. We also demonstrated the upregulation of  B .  bovis  calcium-dependent protein kinase 4 ( cdpk4 ), tubulin-tyrosine ligase ( ttl ), and methyltransferase ( mt ) genes by in vitro induced sexual stages and during parasite development within tick midguts.    Conclusions  Similar to other apicomplexan parasites, it is likely that  B .  bovis  upregulated genes play a vital role in sexual reproduction and parasite transmission. Herein, we document the upregulation of  cdpk4 ,  ttl , and  mt  genes by both  B .  bovis  in vitro induced sexual stages and parasites developing in the tick vector. Understanding the parasite's biology and identifying target genes essential for sexual reproduction will enable the production of non-transmissible live vaccines to control bovine babesiosis.    Graphical abstractSupplementary Information  The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13071-021-04902-3.

parasites and vectors

Differential expression of calcium-dependent protein kinase 4, tubulin tyrosine ligase, and methyltransferase by xanthurenic acid-induced Babesia bovis sexual stages