Data from: Deep sequencing of the olfactory epithelium reveals specific chemosensory receptors are expressed at sexual maturity in the European eel Anguilla anguilla

Vertebrate genomes encode a diversity of G protein-coupled receptors
(GPCR) that belong to large gene families and are used by olfactory
systems to detect chemical cues found in the environment. It is not clear
however, if individual receptors from these large gene families have
evolved roles that are specific to certain life stages. Here, we used deep
sequencing to identify differentially expressed receptor transcripts in
the olfactory epithelia (OE) of freshwater, seawater and sexually mature
male eels (Anguilla anguilla). This species is particularly intriguing
because of its complex life cycle, extreme long distance migrations and
early-branching position within the teleost phylogeny. In the A. anguilla
OE, we identified full-length transcripts for 13, 112, 6 and 38
trace-amine associated receptors (TAAR), odorant receptors (OR) and type I
and type II vomeronasal receptors (V1R and V2R). Most of these receptors
were expressed at similar levels at different life stages and that a
subset of OR and V2R-like transcripts were more abundant in sexually
mature males suggesting that ORs and V2R-like genes are important for
reproduction. We also identified a set of GPCR signal transduction genes
that were differentially expressed indicating that eels make use of
different GPCR signal transduction genes at different life stages. The
finding that a diversity of chemosensory receptors are expressed in the
olfactory epithelium and that a subset are differentially expressed
suggest that most receptors belonging to large chemosensory gene families
have functions that are important at multiple life stages while a subset
have evolved specific functions at different life stages.