BeetleAtlas 2: Tribolium Transcriptomics with Dual Gene Model Modes

BeetleAtlas 2 is an online resource for tissue- and stage-specific transcriptomics in the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum. It was created by David P. Leader and updated on June 1, 2026, to compare results from two major gene model sets (NCBI and OGS3) on the icTriCast1.1 genome assembly. The dataset likely contains expression data linked to visualizations for 22 tissues and life stages.

Use Cases

• Compare gene expression patterns between NCBI and OGS3 gene model sets for equivalent genes.
• Verify and resolve discrepancies between different genome annotations using linked RNA-seq read coverage visualizations.
• Identify putative genes or exons missing from current official gene sets based on tissue-specific expression patterns.
• Plan genetic experiments by avoiding pitfalls from incorrect gene models when selecting target genes.

Strengths

• Enables direct comparison for 50–57% of cases where equivalent gene models exist between the two sets.
• Links gene models to custom visualizations of RNA-seq read coverage from 22 distinct tissues and life stages.
• Includes reference tracks for 1050 discontinued NCBI gene models from a previous genome assembly.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset is very small (9.5 KB), indicating limited scope, likely containing summary or reference data rather than raw sequences.

Provenance

Source

David P. Leader via figshare.

Collection Method

Likely derived from RNA-seq analysis of Tribolium castaneum tissues and stages, with data processed for two genome annotation sets.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-01 17:55:46; freshness should be verified.