Data on four apoptosis-related genes in the colonial tunicate Botryllus schlosseri

The data described are related to the article entitled “Recurrent phagocytosis-induced apoptosis in the cyclical generation change of the compound ascidian Botryllus schlosseri” (Franchi et al., 2016) [1]. Four apoptosis-related genes, showing high similarity with mammalian Bax (a member of the Bcl-2 protein family), AIF1 (apoptosis-inducing factor-1), PARP1 (poly ADP ribose polymerase-1) and IAP7 (inhibitor of apoptosis-7) were identified from the analysis of the trascriptome of B. schlosseri. They were named BsBax, BsAIF1, BsPARP1 and BsIAP7. Here, their deduced amino acid sequence were compared with known sequences of orthologous genes from other deuterostome species together with a study of their identity/similarity.


a b s t r a c t
The data described are related to the article entitled "Recurrent phagocytosis-induced apoptosis in the cyclical generation change of the compound ascidian Botryllus schlosseri"   [1]. Four apoptosis-related genes, showing high similarity with mammalian Bax (a member of the Bcl-2 protein family), AIF1 (apoptosis-inducing factor-1), PARP1 (poly ADP ribose polymerase-1) and IAP7 (inhibitor of apoptosis-7) were identified from the analysis of the trascriptome of B. schlosseri. They were named BsBax, BsAIF1, BsPARP1 and BsIAP7. Here, their deduced amino acid sequence were compared with known sequences of orthologous genes from other deuterostome species together with a study of their identity/similarity.

Value of the data
The data provide the full-length sequences of four apoptosis-related transcripts from the colonial ascidian B. schlosseri useful to study the phylogeny trees of the corresponding proteins in chordates.
From the data, the protein primary structures can be deduced and, from that, three-dimensional models can be obtained, useful to compare the domain organization of the corresponding chordate proteins.
Expression studies, exploiting the present data, can contribute to elucidate the dynamics of the cyclical apoptosis, which characterizes the colonial blastogenetic cycle of the ascidian B. schlosseri.

Data
The data reported include supporting information to the phylogenetic analyses of Franchi et al. [1]. They consist of transcript sequences, sequence alignments and comparisons of four apoptosis-related genes identified in the recently-obtained transcriptome of B. schlosseri [2]. The sequences show high similarity with mammalian transcripts for Bax, AIF1, PARP1 and IAP7 and were named BsBax, BsAIF1, BsPARP1 and BsIAP7, respectively. The expression of these genes was studied further in the abovereported paper [1].

Experimental design, materials and methods
Amplification and cloning of transcripts for BsBax, BsAIF1, BsPARP1 and BsIAP7 was achieved with specific primers designed on sequences found in our collection of transcriptomes [2]. In order to verify and complete the full length cDNA, PCR reactions were carried out with a denaturing step at 94°C for 2 min, 40 cycles of 30 s at 94°C, 40 s at 60°C and 90 s at 72°C, and a final extension at 72°C for 10 min. Amplicons were separated using 1.5% agarose gel, purified, cloned and sequenced. The partial transcripts were elongated through 5 0 and 3 0 RACE according to the 2nd generation of 5 0 / 3 0 RACE kit (Roche). Supplementary Table 1 reports the specific primers used for amplicons production and their elongation through 5 0 -and 3 0 -RACE and for the in situ hybridisation experiments reported in [1].