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.
Genome-wide information has so far been unavailable for ribbon worms of the clade Hoplonemertea, the most species-rich class within the phylum Nemertea. While species within Pilidiophora, the sister clade of Hoplonemertea, possess a pilidium larval stage and lack stylets on their proboscis, Hoplonemertea species have a planuliform larva and are armed with stylets employed for the injection of toxins into their prey. To further compare these developmental, physiological, and behavioral differences from a genomic perspective, the availability of a reference genome for a Hoplonemertea species is crucial. Such data will be highly useful for future investigations toward a better understanding of molecular ecology, venom evolution, and regeneration not only in Nemertea but also in other marine invertebrate phyla. To this end, we herein present the annotated chromosome-level genome assembly for Emplectonema gracile (Nemertea; Hoplonemertea; Monostilifera; Emplectonematidae), an easily collected nemertean well suited for laboratory experimentation. The genome has an assembly size of 157.9 Mb. Hi-C scaffolding yielded chromosome-level scaffolds, with a scaffold N50 of 10.0 Mb and a score of 95.1% for complete BUSCO genes found as a single copy. Annotation predicted 20,684 protein-coding genes. The high-quality reference genome reaches an Earth BioGenome standard level of 7.C.Q50.
more » « less- Award ID(s):
- 1846174
- PAR ID:
- 10524003
- Publisher / Repository:
- Oxford University Press
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Genome Biology and Evolution
- Volume:
- 16
- Issue:
- 7
- ISSN:
- 1759-6653
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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