Octopus bocki neural transcriptome sequencing
This submission includes raw sequences from neural and arm transcriptomes from the Pygmy Octopus (Octopus bocki), a small species of octopus selected to serve as a tractable model for arm connectome studies. Samples from arms, brain (supraesophageal and subesophageal), optic lobes, and stellate ganglia were extracted in order to identify O. bocki sequences for transcripts encoding proteins involved in neuronal transmission and identification of diverse cell types. These sequences were used for cloning and colorimetric in situ hybridization as well as hybridization chain reaction in order to create the first 3D molecular maps of neuronal diversity in octopus arms. These maps are instrumental in establishing a benchmark for comparative cephalopod studies, furthering our understanding of evolutionary neurobiology.