Ancient RNA from Late Pleistocene permafrost and historical canids shows tissue-specific transcriptome survival.

ABSTRACT: While sequencing ancient DNA (aDNA) from archaeological material is now commonplace, very few attempts to sequence ancient transcriptomes have been made, even from typically stable deposition environments such as permafrost. This is presumably due to assumptions that RNA completely degrades relatively quickly, particularly when dealing with autolytic, nuclease-rich mammalian tissues. However, given the recent successes in sequencing ancient RNA (aRNA) from various sources including plants and animals, we suspect that these assumptions may be incorrect or exaggerated. To challenge the underlying dogma, we generated shotgun RNA data from sources that might normally be dismissed for such study. Here, we present aRNA data generated from two historical wolf skins, and permafrost-preserved liver

SUBMITTER: Smith O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6667121 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature