Gold polimorphism RNAseq data

This gene expression data was generated in 2012 to help uncover the molecular genetic basis of a conspicuous golden color polymorphism found in the Midas cichlid fishes.While most Midas cichlids exhibit a grayish color pattern throughout their lives, c.a. 10% of the individuals of multiple populations undergo color change and exhibit a distinctive gold coloration in adulthood, earning them their common name in reference to the mythical greek god Midas. Analyzing ontogenetic color change in the Midas cichlids allows us to investigate the evolutionary history and fate of conspicuous trait in replicated fashion and may also shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying pigmentation more generally.Here we use next-generation sequencing (Illumina) RNAseq analyses to compare skin transcriptome-wide expression levels in three distinct stages of color transformation in Midas cichlids. cDNA libraries of scale tissue, for six biological replicates of each group, were generated and sequenced using Illumina technology. The results of these analysis were published in Henning, Jones, Franchini & Meyer, BMC Genomics 14:171.