Transcriptomic dataset of two types of coelomocytes from Ophelia limacina (Rathke, 1843)
Different types of coelomocytes were examined in the transcriptome of Ophelia limacina, a marine annelid worm belonging to the phylum Annelida. These invertebrates possess specialized coelomic cells responsible for immune defense, detoxification, storage, and transport. Among the coelomocytes, two distinct populations were identified: amoebocytes -- typical for annelids -- and unusual rod-bearing cells that contain a central, brown-colored intracellular rod. The molecular mechanisms responsible for the differentiation and function of these cell types remain unknown. In this study, we generated transcriptomic datasets from the two coelomocyte populations to identify genes potentially involved in their specialization and physiological roles in O. limacina. A total of 148 adult specimens were collected from the sublittoral zone (0.5-1 m) of Podvolochie Inlet in the White Sea in June 2024. Three biological replicates were prepared per cell type, each containing lysates pooled from 38 individuals. RNA extraction followed the manufacturer's TRIzol protocol. Libraries were constructed from the polyadenylated RNA fraction using TruSeq2 adapters and sequenced on the Illumina NovaSeq6000 platform (150 bp paired-end reads).