Data from: Characterization of a male reproductive transcriptome for Peromyscus eremicus (Cactus mouse)

Rodents of the genus Peromyscus have become increasingly utilized models
for investigations into adaptive biology. This genus is particularly
powerful for research linking genetics with adaptive physiology or
behaviors, and recent research has capitalized on the unique opportunities
afforded by the ecological diversity of these rodents. Well characterized
genomic and transcriptomic data is intrinsic to explorations of the
genetic architecture responsible for ecological adaptations. Therefore,
this study characterizes the transcriptome of three male reproductive
tissues (testes, epididymis and vas deferens) of Peromyscus eremicus
(Cactus mouse), a desert specialist. The transcriptome assembly process
was optimized in order to produce a high quality and substantially
complete annotated transcriptome. This composite transcriptome was
generated to characterize the expressed transcripts in the male
reproductive tract of P. eremicus, which will serve as a crucial resource
for future research investigating our hypothesis that the male Cactus
mouse possesses an adaptive reproductive phenotype to mitigate water-loss
from ejaculate. This study reports genes under positive selection in the
male Cactus mouse reproductive transcriptome relative to transcriptomes
from Peromyscus maniculatus (deer mouse) and Mus musculus. Thus, this
study expands upon existing genetic research in this species, and we
provide a high quality transcriptome to enable further explorations of our
proposed hypothesis for male Cactus mouse reproductive adaptations to
minimize seminal fluid loss.