Dataset for: Characterization of conserved circular RNA in polyploid and its ancestors, Gossypium spp.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a regulatory class of long, non-coding RNA found in both plant and animal kingdoms. The profile and characterization of circRNA in cotton species remains to be explored. Here, using 24 rRNA-depleted RNA-seq libraries of putative diploid progenitors of Gossypium spp., G. arboreum and G. raimondii, their interspecies hybrid (F1) and allotetraploid G. hirsutum, 1,041, 1,478, 1,311 and 499 circRNAs were identified in each cotton species respectively. A prevalence of 23 of exon-circRNAs are non-canonical GT/AG signals, and only ~10% of exon-circRNA are associated with reverse complementary intronic sequences. This result implies that plants employ a method of circRNA splicing distinct from that of animals. In addition, 432 circRNAs are stably expressed in multiple cotton species.