An official website of the United States government
Abstract Flow cytometry estimates of genome sizes among species of Drosophila show a 3-fold variation, ranging from ∼127 Mb in Drosophila mercatorum to ∼400 Mb in Drosophila cyrtoloma. However, the assembled portion of the Muller F element (orthologous to the fourth chromosome in Drosophila melanogaster) shows a nearly 14-fold variation in size, ranging from ∼1.3 Mb to >18 Mb. Here, we present chromosome-level long-read genome assemblies for 4 Drosophila species with expanded F elements ranging in size from 2.3 to 20.5 Mb. Each Muller element is present as a single scaffold in each assembly. These assemblies will enable new insights into the evolutionary causes and consequences of chromosome size expansion.
more »
« less
A high-quality de novo genome assembly for clapper rail ( Rallus crepitans )
Abstract The clapper rail (Rallus crepitans), of the family Rallidae, is a secretive marsh bird species that is adapted for high salinity habitats. They are very similar in appearance to the closely related king rail (R. elegans), but while king rails are limited primarily to freshwater marshes, clapper rails are highly adapted to tolerate salt marshes. Both species can be found in brackish marshes where they freely hybridize, but the distribution of their respective habitats precludes the formation of a continuous hybrid zone and secondary contact can occur repeatedly. This system, thus, provides unique opportunities to investigate the underlying mechanisms driving their differential salinity tolerance as well as the maintenance of the species boundary between the 2 species. To facilitate these studies, we assembled a de novo reference genome assembly for a female clapper rail. Chicago and HiC libraries were prepared as input for the Dovetail HiRise pipeline to scaffold the genome. The pipeline, however, did not recover the Z chromosome so a custom script was used to assemble the Z chromosome. We generated a near chromosome level assembly with a total length of 994.8 Mb comprising 13,226 scaffolds. The assembly had a scaffold N50 was 82.7 Mb, L50 of four, and had a BUSCO completeness score of 92%. This assembly is among the most contiguous genomes among the species in the family Rallidae. It will serve as an important tool in future studies on avian salinity tolerance, interspecific hybridization, and speciation.
more »
« less
- Award ID(s):
- 1655624
- PAR ID:
- 10457168
- Editor(s):
- Zetka, M
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics
- Volume:
- 13
- Issue:
- 8
- ISSN:
- 2160-1836
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
More Like this
-
-
Abstract Comparisons of high-quality, reference butterfly, and moth genomes have been instrumental to advancing our understanding of how hybridization, and natural selection drive genomic change during the origin of new species and novel traits. Here, we present a genome assembly of the Southern Dogface butterfly, Zerene cesonia (Pieridae) whose brilliant wing colorations have been implicated in developmental plasticity, hybridization, sexual selection, and speciation. We assembled 266,407,278 bp of the Z. cesonia genome, which accounts for 98.3% of the estimated 271 Mb genome size. Using a hybrid approach involving Chicago libraries with Hi-Rise assembly and a diploid Meraculous assembly, the final haploid genome was assembled. In the final assembly, nearly all autosomes and the Z chromosome were assembled into single scaffolds. The largest 29 scaffolds accounted for 91.4% of the genome assembly, with the remaining ∼8% distributed among another 247 scaffolds and overall N50 of 9.2 Mb. Tissue-specific RNA-seq informed annotations identified 16,442 protein-coding genes, which included 93.2% of the arthropod Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO). The Z. cesonia genome assembly had ∼9% identified as repetitive elements, with a transposable element landscape rich in helitrons. Similar to other Lepidoptera genomes, Z. cesonia showed a high conservation of chromosomal synteny. The Z. cesonia assembly provides a high-quality reference for studies of chromosomal arrangements in the Pierid family, as well as for population, phylo, and functional genomic studies of adaptation and speciation.more » « less
-
Jiang, Yu (Ed.)Abstract Copepods are among the most abundant organisms on the planet and play critical functions in aquatic ecosystems. Among copepods, populations of the Eurytemora affinis species complex are numerically dominant in many coastal habitats and serve as food sources for major fisheries. Intriguingly, certain populations possess the unusual capacity to invade novel salinities on rapid time scales. Despite their ecological importance, high-quality genomic resources have been absent for calanoid copepods, limiting our ability to comprehensively dissect the genome architecture underlying the highly invasive and adaptive capacity of certain populations. Here, we present the first chromosome-level genome of a calanoid copepod, from the Atlantic clade (Eurytemora carolleeae) of the E. affinis species complex. This genome was assembled using high-coverage PacBio long-read and Hi-C sequences of an inbred line, generated through 30 generations of full-sib mating. This genome, consisting of 529.3 Mb (contig N50 = 4.2 Mb, scaffold N50 = 140.6 Mb), was anchored onto four chromosomes. Genome annotation predicted 20,262 protein-coding genes, of which ion transport-related gene families were substantially expanded based on comparative analyses of 12 additional arthropod genomes. Also, we found genome-wide signatures of historical gene body methylation of the ion transport-related genes and the significant clustering of these genes on each chromosome. This genome represents one of the most contiguous copepod genomes to date and is among the highest quality marine invertebrate genomes. As such, this genome provides an invaluable resource to help yield fundamental insights into the ability of this copepod to adapt to rapidly changing environments.more » « less
-
Abstract Despite being quite specious (~10,000 extant species), birds have a fairly uniform genome size and karyotype (including the common occurrence of microchromosomes) relative to other vertebrate lineages. Storks (Family Ciconiidae) are a charismatic and distinct group of large wading birds with nearly worldwide distribution but few genomic resources. Here we present an annotated chromosome-level reference genome and chromosome orthology analysis for the wood stork (Mycteria americana), a species that has been federally protected under the Endangered Species Act since 1984. The annotated chromosome-level reference assembly was produced using the blood of a wild female wood stork chick, has a length of 1.35 Gb, a contig N50 of 37 Mb, a scaffold N50 of 80 Mb, and a BUSCO score of 98.8%. We identified 31 autosomal pairs and two sex chromosomes in the wood stork genome, but failed to identify four additional autosomal microchromosomes previously found via karyotyping. Orthology analyses confirmed reported synapomorphies unique to storks and identified the chromosomes participating in these fusions. This study highlights the difficulty and potential problems associated with delineating microchromosomes in reference genome assemblies. It also provides a foundation for studying karyotype evolution in the core water bird clade that includes penguins, albatrosses, storks, cormorants, herons, and ibises. Finally, our reference genome will allow for numerous genomic studies, such as genome-wide association studies of local adaptation, that will aid in wood stork conservation.more » « less
-
Abstract Raphidioptera (snakeflies) are a holometabolan order with the least species diversity but play a pivotal role in understanding the origin of complete metamorphosis. Here, we provide an annotated, chromosome-level reference genome assembly for an Asian endemic snakeflyMongoloraphidia duomilia(Yang, 1998) of the family Raphidiidae, assembled using PacBio HiFi and Hi-C data from female specimens. The resulting assembly is 653.56 Mb, of which 97.90% is anchored into 13 chromosomes. The scaffold N50 is 53.50 Mb, and BUSCO completeness is 97.80%. Repetitive elements comprise 64.31% of the genome (366.04 Mb). We identified 599 noncoding RNAs and predicted 11,141 protein-coding genes in the genome (97.70% BUSCO completeness). The new snakefly genome will facilitate comparison of genome architecture across Neuropterida and Holometabola and shed light on the ecological and evolutionary transitions between Neuropterida and Coleopterida.more » « less
- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkad097
