Replicated differential expression analysis in a green-brown polymorphic grasshopper reveals role of beta-carotene-binding protein in body coloration

This dataset accompanies a study on the genetic basis of green–brown color polymorphism in the club-legged grasshopper (Gomphocerus sibiricus). It includes RNA-seq data from fourth-instar nymphs (N4) of green and brown morphs, along with associated metadata (e.g., morph, sex) and analysis scripts. Transcriptomes were sequenced to investigate differential gene expression linked to coloration, and a reference-guided transcriptome assembly was generated. Six genes consistently upregulated in green individuals across two datasets were identified as beta-carotene-binding proteins (βCBPs), suggesting a role in carotenoid-mediated pigmentation. This dataset enables further functional and evolutionary analyses of βCBP genes in Orthoptera and may be reused in studies of gene expression, pigmentation, and evolutionary developmental biology., , # Replicated differential expression analysis in a green-brown polymorphic grasshopper reveals role of beta-carotene-binding protein in body coloration

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.qz612jmv2](10.5061/dryad.qz612jmv2)

## Description of the data and file structure

This dataset was generated as part of a study investigating the genetic basis of green–brown color polymorphism in the club-legged grasshopper (*Gomphocerus sibiricus*). We collected early-instar nymphs from the wild and reared them under laboratory conditions until the fourth instar (N4), when they were phenotyped and snap-frozen for RNA extraction. Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) was performed on green and brown morphs to identify differentially expressed genes associated with coloration.

The data include:

* A reference-guided transcriptome assembly (`Gsib_color_transcriptome.fa`).
* Metadata for two datasets: the discovery and confirmatory datasets (`meta.discovery_dataset.txt`, `meta.confirmatory_dataset.txt`).
* A tr...,