Transcriptome data of the interdigital webbing in Chinese Soft-shell Turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis)

interdigital cell death (ICD) is an essential role in amniotes to promote the regression of interdigital tissue for digits separation. Antagonizing this process can lead to the formation of webbed limbs. However, the mechanism of forming webbed limbs is not the same among independently evolved species, and the reason is still unclear. The Chinese softshell turtle (Pelotiscus sinensis) is a good research model, exhibiting a transitional feature from no webbed to fully webbed. In this study, we collected 8 samples of interdigital webbing from the forelimbs and hindlimbs of turtles at embryonic stage 19 (TK19) for RNA sequencing. We identified 608 potential regulatory genes through differential expression analysis. These findings not only provide new perspectives and data support for comparative studies of adaptive convergent evolution in aquatic animals, but also enhance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying quadrupedal limb morphology. In addition, these results provide potential molecular targets for studying the plasticity of programmed cell death or aging. At the TK19 (Tokita-Kuratani stage 19), 20 morphologically consistent fresh individuals were selected, and the four interdigital regions of the paired fore- and hindlimbs were dissected under the microscope (Leica, M165FC). A total of eight sample groups were collected for pool-sequencing, with each group containing 40 tissues from left and right sides of the 20 individuals.