Enhanced genome assembly and a new official gene set for Tribolium castaneum

The red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum has emerged as an important model organism for the study of gene function in development and physiology, for ecological and evolutionary genomics, for pest control and a plethora of other topics. RNA interference (RNAi), transgenesis and genome editing are well established and the resources for genome-wide RNAi screening have become available in this model. All these techniques depend on a high quality genome assembly and precise gene models. However, the first version of the genome assembly was generated by Sanger sequencing, and with a small set of RNA sequence data limiting annotation quality

Enhanced genome assembly and a new official gene set for Tribolium castaneum

Abstract Background The red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum has emerged as an important model organism for the study of gene function in development and physiology, for ecological and evolutionary genomics, for pest control and a plethora of other topics. RNA interference (RNAi), transgenesis and genome editing are well established and the resources for genome-wide RNAi screening have become available in this model. All these techniques depend on a high quality genome assembly and precise gene models. However, the first version of the genome assembly was generated by Sanger sequencing, and with a small set of RNA sequence data limiting annotation quality. Results Here, we present an improved genome assembly (Tcas5.2) and an enhanced genome annotation resulting in a new official gene set (OGS3) for Tribolium castaneum, which significantly increase the quality of the genomic resources. By adding large-distance jumping library DNA sequencing to join scaffolds and fill small gaps, the gaps in the genome assembly were reduced and the N50 increased to 4753kbp. The precision of the gene models was enhanced by the use of a large body of RNA-Seq reads of different life history stages and tissue types, leading to the discovery of 1452 novel gene sequences. We also added new features such as alternative splicing, well defined UTRs and microRNA target predictions. For quality control, 399 gene models were evaluated by manual inspection. The current gene set was submitted to Genbank and accepted as a RefSeq genome by NCBI. Conclusions The new genome assembly (Tcas5.2) and the official gene set (OGS3) provide enhanced genomic resources for genetic work in Tribolium castaneum. The much improved information on transcription start sites supports transgenic and gene editing approaches. Further, novel types of information such as splice variants and microRNA target genes open additional possibilities for analysis

Additional file 1: Table S1. of Inferential considerations for low-count RNA-seq transcripts: a case study on the dominant prairie grass Andropogon gerardii

Number of high quality reads by ecotype and population for 454 and HiSeq platforms. Figure S1. Workflow diagram of transcriptome assembly pipeline. Figure S2. Cumulative length of sequences and number of sequences for various k-mer values, 454 data, and the combined 454 and HiSeq data. Figure S3. N values for various k-mers and MIRA 454 and MIRA clustered assemblies. Figure S4. Ortholog hit ratio for final MIRA clustered assembly. OHR is the length of the BLASTX hit region divided by the length of the protein, in our case using the S. bicolor database. OHR is an estimate of the percent of the full length protein sequence represented in the assembly. An OHR of 1 indicates a potential full length transcript. (DOCX 230 kb

Improving Whole Genome Shotgun Assemblies with Physical Maps Based on Imaging Ultra-Long Single DNA

<p>We use the red flour beetle, a pest of stored grain, as a genetic model organism for developmental studies. As members of the i5k, we join scientists around the globe who are gearing up to sequencing 5000 insect genomes to improve human welfare and understand key ecosystem services that insects provide. By investigating insect genomes, we can take a fresh look at how insects transmit some of the most devastating diseases of humans, livestock, and plants on one hand, yet also serve as medical models for cancer, obesity, alcoholism, and neurological disease on the other.<br>Genome sequencing is becoming very affordable, but genome assembly is still challenging. Most are basically drafts of the genome, but even heavily curated reference assemblies contain misassemblies and truncations or gaps in repetitive regions. We are using a form of optical mapping to validate and extend the contigs and scaffolds that constitute a genome assembly. The 7x draft assembly of the red flour beetle, Tribolium castaneum genome is based on paired-end Sanger sequencing of 4-6 Kb insert plasmid libraries, scaffolded with paired-end reads from 40Kb fosmid and ~130Mb BAC clones. The total assembled length of ~156 Mb represents 75% of the estimated genome (200Mb) and presumably lacks a significant portion of repetitive DNA. Superscaffolds or chromosome linkage group builds (ChLG 2-10 and X) were constructed by mapping molecular markers from the genetic recombination map to the assembly scaffolds, anchoring greater than 90% of the assembled sequence. To improve this draft assembly, we constructed physical maps of the T. castaneum genome. Using the irys system designed by BioNano Genomics (http://www.bionanogenomics.com/). Ultra long molecules (Mb) were nicked on one strand with Nt.Bspq1 and labeled with fluorescent nucleotides. Individual molecules were imaged on a massively parallel scale in nanochannels printed on silicon chips. Consensus maps of the imaged molecules were compared with in silico maps generated from the assembly sequence. Here we report our progress on using these comparisons to validate the assembly in regions were they agree and reanalyze the assembly in regions were they do not. Additional scaffolds have been anchored to the chromosomes, order and orientation of scaffolds have been corrected, and scaffolds have been extended by spanning repetitive regions.</p> <p> </p

Enhanced genome assembly and a new official gene set for Tribolium castaneum.

BACKGROUND:The red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum has emerged as an important model organism for the study of gene function in development and physiology, for ecological and evolutionary genomics, for pest control and a plethora of other topics. RNA interference (RNAi), transgenesis and genome editing are well established and the resources for genome-wide RNAi screening have become available in this model. All these techniques depend on a high quality genome assembly and precise gene models. However, the first version of the genome assembly was generated by Sanger sequencing, and with a small set of RNA sequence data limiting annotation quality. RESULTS:Here, we present an improved genome assembly (Tcas5.2) and an enhanced genome annotation resulting in a new official gene set (OGS3) for Tribolium castaneum, which significantly increase the quality of the genomic resources. By adding large-distance jumping library DNA sequencing to join scaffolds and fill small gaps, the gaps in the genome assembly were reduced and the N50 increased to 4753kbp. The precision of the gene models was enhanced by the use of a large body of RNA-Seq reads of different life history stages and tissue types, leading to the discovery of 1452 novel gene sequences. We also added new features such as alternative splicing, well defined UTRs and microRNA target predictions. For quality control, 399 gene models were evaluated by manual inspection. The current gene set was submitted to Genbank and accepted as a RefSeq genome by NCBI. CONCLUSIONS:The new genome assembly (Tcas5.2) and the official gene set (OGS3) provide enhanced genomic resources for genetic work in Tribolium castaneum. The much improved information on transcription start sites supports transgenic and gene editing approaches. Further, novel types of information such as splice variants and microRNA target genes open additional possibilities for analysis

Enhanced genome assembly and a new official gene set for Tribolium castaneum

Background The red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum has emerged as an important model organism for the study of gene function in development and physiology, for ecological and evolutionary genomics, for pest control and a plethora of other topics. RNA interference (RNAi), transgenesis and genome editing are well established and the resources for genome-wide RNAi screening have become available in this model. All these techniques depend on a high quality genome assembly and precise gene models. However, the first version of the genome assembly was generated by Sanger sequencing, and with a small set of RNA sequence data limiting annotation quality. Results Here, we present an improved genome assembly (Tcas5.2) and an enhanced genome annotation resulting in a new official gene set (OGS3) for Tribolium castaneum, which significantly increase the quality of the genomic resources. By adding large-distance jumping library DNA sequencing to join scaffolds and fill small gaps, the gaps in the genome assembly were reduced and the N50 increased to 4753kbp. The precision of the gene models was enhanced by the use of a large body of RNA-Seq reads of different life history stages and tissue types, leading to the discovery of 1452 novel gene sequences. We also added new features such as alternative splicing, well defined UTRs and microRNA target predictions. For quality control, 399 gene models were evaluated by manual inspection. The current gene set was submitted to Genbank and accepted as a RefSeq genome by NCBI. Conclusions The new genome assembly (Tcas5.2) and the official gene set (OGS3) provide enhanced genomic resources for genetic work in Tribolium castaneum. The much improved information on transcription start sites supports transgenic and gene editing approaches. Further, novel types of information such as splice variants and microRNA target genes open additional possibilities for analysis

A Massive Expansion of Effector Genes Underlies Gall-Formation in the Wheat Pest Mayetiola destructor

Gall-forming arthropods are highly specialized herbivores that, in combination with their hosts, produce extended phenotypes with unique morphologies [1]. Many are economically important, and others have improved our understanding of ecology and adaptive radiation [2]. However, the mechanisms that these arthropods use to induce plant galls are poorly understood. We sequenced the genome of the Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor; Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a plant parasitic gall midge and a pest of wheat (Triticum spp.), with the aim of identifying genic modifications that contribute to its plant-parasitic lifestyle. Among several adaptive modifications, we discovered an expansive reservoir of potential effector proteins. Nearly 5% of the 20,163 predicted gene models matched putative effector gene transcripts present in the M. destructor larval salivary gland. Another 466 putative effectors were discovered among the genes that have no sequence similarities in other organisms. The largest known arthropod gene family (family SSGP-71) was also discovered within the effector reservoir. SSGP-71 proteins lack sequence homologies to other proteins, but their structures resemble both ubiquitin E3 ligases in plants and E3-ligase-mimicking effectors in plant pathogenic bacteria. SSGP-71 proteins and wheat Skp proteins interact in vivo. Mutations in different SSGP-71 genes avoid the effector-triggered immunity that is directed by the wheat resistance genes H6 and H9. Results point to effectors as the agents responsible for arthropod-induced plant gall formation