Data relating to the transcriptomes of human lung epithelial cells exposed to radon-emitting rock, tobacco smoke or cannabis smoke

Presented herein are RNA expression data linked to the exposure of human lung epithelial cells to either low dose radon-emitting rock, tobacco smoke or cannabis smoke. Two cell lines were used, one representing a ‘normal’ lung epithelial cell (BEAS-2B, derived from immortilized bronchial epithelial cells from a cadaver) and one representing a ‘cancerous’ lung epithelial cell (NCI-H1975, derived from a primary lung adenocarcinoma from a non-smoker). Control cells were cultured under standard conditions. Test cells were either (a) continuously cultured in the presence of pulverized uranium-containing rock emitting 38 Bq/m(3) radon, or (b) exposed five days a week, to a 1:10,000 dilution of either tobacco or cannabis smoke from one cigarette. RNA was extracted from the cells at various time-points over a period of 1–17 weeks (7–140 days). cDNA libraries were prepared from the RNA, and the libraries were sequenced. Raw, aligned sequencing data, from 38 biosamples, are available through a public repository. Differential gene expression data, relating to control and test samples from various time-points, are linked to this article. Detailed analyses relating to these data can be found in the article “Human lung epithelial cells cultured in the presence of radon-emitting rock experience gene expression changes similar to those associated with tobacco smoke exposure” [1].