Identify and characterize the circular RNAs expressed in in the half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis)

Half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) is a commercially valuable flatfish, ranking among the most valuable fishes in the coastal areas of China. It has an asymmetric body shape with lateralization of the eyes to the same side during metamorphosis as same as the other flatfish species. However, little is known about the function and profile of circRNAs in the half-smooth tongue sole. In this study,a total of 2730 circRNAs were identified from in the fish by deep RNA-sequencing technique. Overall design: Gonad, liver, spleen, heart, kidney, gill, muscle, and brain tissues were collected individually. To determine the expression profiles of circRNAs in half-smooth tongue sole, total RNA was isolated from the different tissues to form tissue pool. Three micrograms of RNA per sample were used as the input material for the RNA sample preparations. The expression profiles of circRNAs were determined by genome-wide large-scale next-generation deep sequencing by using the Illumina platforms.