Monica M Sheffer1, Anica Hoppe2,3, Henrik Krehenwinkel4, Gabriele Uhl1, Andreas W Kuss3,5, Lars Jensen3,5, Corinna Jensen3,5, Rosemary G Gillespie6, Katharina J Hoff2,3, Stefan Prost7,8. 1. Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Loitzer Str. 26, 17489 Greifswald, Germany. 2. Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Greifswald, Walther-Rathenau-Str. 47, 17489 Greifswald, Germany. 3. Center for Functional Genomics of Microbes, University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorf-Str. 8, 17489 Greifswald, Germany. 4. Department of Biogeography, University of Trier, Universitätsring 15, 54296 Trier, Germany. 5. Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University of Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorf-Str. 8, 17489 Greifswald, Germany. 6. Department of Environmental Science Policy and Management, University of California Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall #3114, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA. 7. LOEWE-Centre for Translational Biodiversity Genomics, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt, Germany. 8. South African National Biodiversity Institute, National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, 232 Boom St., Pretoria 0001, South Africa.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Argiope bruennichi, the European wasp spider, has been investigated intensively as a focal species for studies on sexual selection, chemical communication, and the dynamics of rapid range expansion at a behavioral and genetic level. However, the lack of a reference genome has limited insights into the genetic basis for these phenomena. Therefore, we assembled a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of the European wasp spider as a tool for more in-depth future studies. FINDINGS: We generated, de novo, a 1.67 Gb genome assembly of A. bruennichi using 21.8× Pacific Biosciences sequencing, polished with 19.8× Illumina paired-end sequencing data, and proximity ligation (Hi-C)-based scaffolding. This resulted in an N50 scaffold size of 124 Mb and an N50 contig size of 288 kb. We found 98.4% of the genome to be contained in 13 scaffolds, fitting the expected number of chromosomes (n = 13). Analyses showed the presence of 91.1% of complete arthropod BUSCOs, indicating a high-quality assembly. CONCLUSIONS: We present the first chromosome-level genome assembly in the order Araneae. With this genomic resource, we open the door for more precise and informative studies on evolution and adaptation not only in A. bruennichi but also in arachnids overall, shedding light on questions such as the genomic architecture of traits, whole-genome duplication, and the genomic mechanisms behind silk and venom evolution.
BACKGROUND:Argiope bruennichi, the European wasp spider, has been investigated intensively as a focal species for studies on sexual selection, chemical communication, and the dynamics of rapid range expansion at a behavioral and genetic level. However, the lack of a reference genome has limited insights into the genetic basis for these phenomena. Therefore, we assembled a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of the European wasp spider as a tool for more in-depth future studies. FINDINGS: We generated, de novo, a 1.67 Gb genome assembly of A. bruennichi using 21.8× Pacific Biosciences sequencing, polished with 19.8× Illumina paired-end sequencing data, and proximity ligation (Hi-C)-based scaffolding. This resulted in an N50 scaffold size of 124 Mb and an N50 contig size of 288 kb. We found 98.4% of the genome to be contained in 13 scaffolds, fitting the expected number of chromosomes (n = 13). Analyses showed the presence of 91.1% of complete arthropod BUSCOs, indicating a high-quality assembly. CONCLUSIONS: We present the first chromosome-level genome assembly in the order Araneae. With this genomic resource, we open the door for more precise and informative studies on evolution and adaptation not only in A. bruennichi but also in arachnids overall, shedding light on questions such as the genomic architecture of traits, whole-genome duplication, and the genomic mechanisms behind silk and venom evolution.
Authors: Paul L Babb; Matjaž Gregorič; Nicholas F Lahens; David N Nicholson; Cheryl Y Hayashi; Linden Higgins; Matjaž Kuntner; Ingi Agnarsson; Benjamin F Voight Journal: PLoS One Date: 2022-06-06 Impact factor: 3.752
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Authors: Matthew H Van Dam; Analyn Anzano Cabras; James B Henderson; Andrew J Rominger; Cynthia Pérez Estrada; Arina D Omer; Olga Dudchenko; Erez Lieberman Aiden; Athena W Lam Journal: PLoS Genet Date: 2021-08-30 Impact factor: 5.917
Authors: José Cerca; Ellie E Armstrong; Joel Vizueta; Rosa Fernández; Dimitar Dimitrov; Bent Petersen; Stefan Prost; Julio Rozas; Dmitri Petrov; Rosemary G Gillespie Journal: Genome Biol Evol Date: 2021-12-01 Impact factor: 3.416