Project description:Genome-wide analysis of skin color-related lncRNA and mRNA expression in Koi carp, Cyprinus carpio L. LncRNAs information linked to fish skin color regulation is over-limited. In this study, Illumina sequencing and bioinformatics were primarily conducted on black, white and red skin colors of Koi carp. A total of 590,415,050 clean reads, 446,614 putative transcripts, 4,252 known and 72,907 novel lncRNAs were simultaneously obtained, respectively. Out of these genes, 92 significant differentially expressed lncRNAs and 722 mRNAs were excavated. Ccr_lnc5622441, Ccr_lnc765201 were found up-regulated in black and red skins; Ccr_lnc14074601 were up-regulated in white skin; and premelanosome proteins a (Pmela), tyrosinase (Tyr) were up-regulated in black skin, etc. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) further validated 12 differentially expressed genes were consistent with RNA-seq. Moreover, 70 lncRNAs on 107 target mRNAs in cis and 79 lncRNAs on 41,625 target mRNAs in trans were investigated, the networks revealed one lncRNAs can connected with numerous mRNAs, vice versa. These findings broadened the lncRNAs landscape of skin colors and provided new insights into the mechanisms underlying lncRNAs mediated pigmentation and differentiation in Koi carp.