Replication Data for: Tanycytes from a bird’s eye view: gene expression profiling of the tanycytic region under different seasonal states in the Svalbard ptarmigan

Tanycytes around the third ventricle and the adjacent mediobasal hypothalamus are crucial components to trigger photoperiodic responses in breeding and metabolism. In mammals, tanycytes are known to regulate hypothalamic thyroid hormone conversion, a process which is linked to seasonal reproduction. They are further involved in retinoic acid signalling, neurogenesis, and nutritional gatekeeping, all of which have been linked to the photoperiodic regulation of metabolism. The region is neuroanatomically conserved between mammals and birds but, apart from the hypothalamic thyroid hormone conversion, little is known about the functional roles of tanycytes in birds. We, hence, aimed to give a comprehensive characterisation of gene expressions in avian tanycytes and surrounding cells under different photoperiodic reproductive and metabolic states. For this purpose, we used the Svalbard ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea), a high-Arctic bird species which shows pronounced seasonal rhythms in breeding and body mass. We applied a simple photoperiodic extension protocol to short-day adapted birds to trigger a long-day response which is marked by initiation of breeding and loss in body mass. After several weeks under a long photoperiod, the innate development of photorefractoriness led to a reversal to the short-day phenotype marked by the termination of breeding and gain in body mass. We sampled birds at different seasonal states and used laser-capturing and RNAseq to correlate the seasonal phenotype with the gene expressions in tanycytes and the surrounding area. The here contained dataset includes behavioural data, gene expression data (raw and cpm) and results from statistical analyses and GO enrichment analyses. Furthermore the EdgeR RNA seq script is attached.伸长细胞（tanycytes）是第三脑室（third ventricle）周围及邻近下丘脑内侧基底部（mediobasal hypothalamus）的关键组成成分，可触发繁殖与代谢过程中的光周期响应（photoperiodic responses）。在哺乳动物中，伸长细胞可调控下丘脑甲状腺激素转化（thyroid hormone conversion）过程，该过程与季节性繁殖（seasonal reproduction）密切相关。此外，伸长细胞还参与视黄酸信号通路（retinoic acid signalling）、神经发生（neurogenesis）及营养门控调控（nutritional gatekeeping），上述过程均与代谢的光周期调控存在关联。该脑区在哺乳动物与鸟类间具有神经解剖学保守性，但除下丘脑甲状腺激素转化过程外，目前对鸟类伸长细胞的功能作用仍知之甚少。因此，本研究旨在全面解析不同光周期繁殖与代谢状态下，鸟类伸长细胞及其周围细胞的基因表达特征。为此，本研究选用斯瓦尔巴岩雷鸟（Lagopus muta hyperborea）——一种在繁殖与体重方面呈现显著季节性节律的高北极鸟类物种。研究人员对适应短日照的个体施加简易光周期延长方案，以诱导长日照响应，该响应以繁殖启动与体重下降为特征。在长日照环境下饲养数周后，光不敏感性（photorefractoriness）的先天发育会促使个体逆转至短日照表型（short-day phenotype），此时繁殖活动终止、体重回升。研究人员采集了处于不同季节性状态的个体样本，并利用激光捕获显微切割与RNA测序（RNA-seq）技术，将季节性表型与伸长细胞及其周边区域的基因表达进行关联分析。本数据集包含行为学数据、基因表达数据（原始计数与每百万转录本计数（cpm））、统计分析结果及基因本体（Gene Ontology, GO）富集分析结果，此外还附带了EdgeR RNA测序分析脚本。