Description of dataset Feline microRNA transcriptome in whole blood in 6 healthy cats an in cats with preclinical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Sudy design: Observational study

Study aim:
Aim to characterize differentially expressed miRNAS between healthy Norwegian Forest cats and healthy Domestic Shorthair cats, and to compare with cats with hypertropic cardiomyopathy (HCM)

Material and methods:
Six neutered healthy cats, three male domestic cats (DOM) and one male and two female Norwegian Forest (NF) cats were included. Each healthy cat was matched (breed, sex, age, body-weight and body condition score) with a cat with HCM.
The data set includes the miRDeep2 report, rawcounts miRNAs, differentially expressed miRNAs for contrasts compared using DESeq2, human and feline target genes producing messenger RNA (mRNA) and gene ontology analysis (GO) for these 12 cats.
Six neutered healthy cats, three male domestic shorthair (DSH) and one male and two female NF cats were selected and matched with respect to breed, sex, age, and bodyweight with a cat with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). One of the healthy DSH cats was matched with a Domestic Longhair cat (DLH), thus the DSH and DLH are hence called domestic (DOM) for the cats with preclinical HCM. Inclusion criteria were apparently healthy NF, and DSH cats, 114 years, with normal echocardiograms were included, as were cats of these two breed-groups with preclinical HCM. Diagnosis of HCM was based on characteristic findings on an echocardiogram. No cats receiving medical treatment were allowed into the study.
12 cats, 2 breeds 6 cat of each breed (Norwegian Forest cats and Domestic cats), within each breed 3 healthy and three cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).
Total RNA was extracted from WB, filtered for small RNA, and sequenced. Identification and prediction of miRNAs were performed with miRDeep2. Differentially expression analysis of miRNAs was performed with DESeq2. The effect of breed was evaluated for healthy cats. The effect of preclinical HCM was evaluated for all cats and within breed. IntaRNA and miRDB was used for target-prediction, and DAVID for evaluation of gene ontology and gene enrichment.
Whole blood was collected in PAXgene blood RNA System frozen and stored in -20 C until date of RNA-extraction for a median storage time of 177 days. Total RNA was extracted. Samples with an RNA integrity number (RIN)-value of 7.7 or higher were included in the study. Libraries were prepared and quantified and normalized prior sequencing. Paired-end sequencing data was generated. Bioformatic data processing and count genertion of known and novel miRNAs in cats were identified using miRDeep2. Mature miRNA and hairpin sequences were downloaded from miRBase with human as main reference, and mouse and dog assigned as close relatives. Main reference miRNAs identified in the dataset were classified as predicted known miRNAs, and miRNAs previously not described in the main reference were classified as novel miRNAs by miRDeep2. Only novel miRNAs with a miRDeep2 score of >5.0 was included in the count-file generated for subsequent differently expressed (DE)-analyses. Identification of DE miRNAs were performed in DESeq2.

Results:
Number of variables 6: breed, age, sex, body-weight, body condition score, healthy or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
Compiled Excel file miR_Deep2_counts_DEsignmiRNAcontrasts_compiled is a compiled file with the miRDeep2 report, raw counts of miRNAs and the differentially expressed miRNAs found in the dataset. The following nine csv-files are named miR_ and the name of the file in the compiled Excel file.
Compiled Excel file Target_HumanGOmiRNA_Feline_GOmiRNA_compiled is a compiled file with the human and feline target genes producing messenger RNA for the differentially expressed miRNAs found in the dataset, gene ontology analysis of these miRNAS both for human and feline genes. The following nineteen csv-files are named Target_ and the name of the file in the compiled Excel file.
