A haplotype-resolved chromosome-level genome assembly of Urochloa decumbens cv. Basilisk resolves its allopolyploid ancestry and composition.

Haplotyped-resolved phased assemblies aim to capture the full allelic diversity in heterozygous and polyploid species to enable accurate genetic analyses. However, building non-collapsed references still presents a challenge. Here, we used long-range interaction Hi-C reads (high-throughput chromatin conformation capture) and HiFi PacBio reads to assemble the genome of the apomictic cultivar Basilisks from Urochloa decumbens (2n = 4x = 36), an outcrossed tetraploid Paniceae grass widely cropped to feed livestock in the tropics.

Nuclear and mitochondrial genome assemblies for the endangered wood-decaying fungus Somion occarium.

Somion occarium is a wood-decaying bracket fungus belonging to an order known to be rich in useful chemical compounds. Despite its widespread distribution, S. occarium has been assessed as endangered on at least one national Red List, presumably due to loss of old-growth forest habitat.

Chromosome-scale genome assembly and de novo annotation of Alopecurus aequalis.

Alopecurus aequalis is a winter annual or short-lived perennial bunchgrass which has in recent years emerged as the dominant agricultural weed of barley and wheat in certain regions of China and Japan, causing significant yield losses. Its robust tillering capacity and high fecundity, combined with the development of both target and non-target-site resistance to herbicides means it is a formidable challenge to food security. Here we report on a chromosome-scale assembly of A.

The genome sequence of the Violet Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa violacea (Linnaeus, 1785): a hymenopteran species undergoing range expansion.

We present a reference genome assembly from an individual male Violet Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa violacea, Linnaeus 1758). The assembly is 1.02 gigabases in span.

Identification of a non-canonical ciliate nuclear genetic code where UAA and UAG code for different amino acids.

The genetic code is one of the most highly conserved features across life. Only a few lineages have deviated from the "universal" genetic code. Amongst the few variants of the genetic code reported to date, the codons UAA and UAG virtually always have the same translation, suggesting that their evolution is coupled.

Genomics and biochemical analyses reveal a metabolon key to β-L-ODAP biosynthesis in Lathyrus sativus.

Grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) is a rich source of protein cultivated as an insurance crop in Ethiopia, Eritrea, India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Its resilience to both drought and flooding makes it a promising crop for ensuring food security in a changing climate.

Chromosome-level genome sequence of the Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus) highlights regions of introgression with O. mossambicus.

Background: The Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is the third most important freshwater fish for aquaculture. Its success is directly linked to continuous breeding efforts focusing on production traits such as growth rate and weight. Among those elite strains, the Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia (GIFT) programme initiated by WorldFish is now distributed worldwide.

Chromosome-scale genome assembly provides insights into rye biology, evolution and agronomic potential.

Rye (Secale cereale L.) is an exceptionally climate-resilient cereal crop, used extensively to produce improved wheat varieties via introgressive hybridization and possessing the entire repertoire of genes necessary to enable hybrid breeding. Rye is allogamous and only recently domesticated, thus giving cultivated ryes access to a diverse and exploitable wild gene pool.

An aphid RNA transcript migrates systemically within plants and is a virulence factor.

Aphids are sap-feeding insects that colonize a broad range of plant species and often cause feeding damage and transmit plant pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and viroids. These insects feed from the plant vascular tissue, predominantly the phloem. However, it remains largely unknown how aphids, and other sap-feeding insects, establish intimate long-term interactions with plants.

Sex-specific changes in the aphid DNA methylation landscape.

Aphids present an ideal system to study epigenetics as they can produce diverse, but genetically identical, morphs in response to environmental stimuli. Here, using whole genome bisulphite sequencing and transcriptome sequencing of the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), we present the first detailed analysis of cytosine methylation in an aphid and investigate differences in the methylation and transcriptional landscapes of male and asexual female morphs. We found that methylation primarily occurs in a CG dinucleotide (CpG) context and that exons are highly enriched for methylated CpGs, particularly at the 3' end of genes.

Efficient and accurate detection of splice junctions from RNA-seq with Portcullis.

Next-generation sequencing technologies enable rapid and cheap genome-wide transcriptome analysis, providing vital information about gene structure, transcript expression, and alternative splicing. Key to this is the accurate identification of exon-exon junctions from RNA sequenced (RNA-seq) reads. A number of RNA-seq aligners capable of splitting reads across these splice junctions (SJs) have been developed; however, it has been shown that while they correctly identify most genuine SJs available in a given sample, they also often produce large numbers of incorrect SJs.

Leveraging multiple transcriptome assembly methods for improved gene structure annotation.

Background: The performance of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) aligners and assemblers varies greatly across different organisms and experiments, and often the optimal approach is not known beforehand.

Results: Here, we show that the accuracy of transcript reconstruction can be boosted by combining multiple methods, and we present a novel algorithm to integrate multiple RNA-seq assemblies into a coherent transcript annotation. Our algorithm can remove redundancies and select the best transcript models according to user-specified metrics, while solving common artifacts such as erroneous transcript chimerisms.

The ash dieback invasion of Europe was founded by two genetically divergent individuals.

Accelerating international trade and climate change make pathogen spread an increasing concern. Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, the causal agent of ash dieback, is a fungal pathogen that has been moving across continents and hosts from Asian to European ash. Most European common ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior) are highly susceptible to H.

An improved assembly and annotation of the allohexaploid wheat genome identifies complete families of agronomic genes and provides genomic evidence for chromosomal translocations.

Advances in genome sequencing and assembly technologies are generating many high-quality genome sequences, but assemblies of large, repeat-rich polyploid genomes, such as that of bread wheat, remain fragmented and incomplete. We have generated a new wheat whole-genome shotgun sequence assembly using a combination of optimized data types and an assembly algorithm designed to deal with large and complex genomes. The new assembly represents >78% of the genome with a scaffold N50 of 88.

Rapid transcriptional plasticity of duplicated gene clusters enables a clonally reproducing aphid to colonise diverse plant species.

Background: The prevailing paradigm of host-parasite evolution is that arms races lead to increasing specialisation via genetic adaptation. Insect herbivores are no exception and the majority have evolved to colonise a small number of closely related host species. Remarkably, the green peach aphid, Myzus persicae, colonises plant species across 40 families and single M.

Genome sequence and genetic diversity of European ash trees.

Ash trees (genus Fraxinus, family Oleaceae) are widespread throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but are being devastated in Europe by the fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, causing ash dieback, and in North America by the herbivorous beetle Agrilus planipennis. Here we sequence the genome of a low-heterozygosity Fraxinus excelsior tree from Gloucestershire, UK, annotating 38,852 protein-coding genes of which 25% appear ash specific when compared with the genomes of ten other plant species. Analyses of paralogous genes suggest a whole-genome duplication shared with olive (Olea europaea, Oleaceae).

Oakleaf: an S locus-linked mutation of Primula vulgaris that affects leaf and flower development.

In Primula vulgaris outcrossing is promoted through reciprocal herkogamy with insect-mediated cross-pollination between pin and thrum form flowers. Development of heteromorphic flowers is coordinated by genes at the S locus. To underpin construction of a genetic map facilitating isolation of these S locus genes, we have characterised Oakleaf, a novel S locus-linked mutant phenotype.

, a BioJS component to visualise wig data.

is a BioJS component whose main purpose is to provide a platform for visualisation of wig-formatted data. Wig files are extensively used by genome browsers such as the UCSC Genome Browser. follows the BioJS standard specification, requiring a simple configuration and installation.

High-resolution transcriptional analysis of the regulatory influence of cell-to-cell signalling reveals novel genes that contribute to Xanthomonas phytopathogenesis.

The bacterium Xanthomonas campestris is an economically important pathogen of many crop species and a model for the study of bacterial phytopathogenesis. In X. campestris, a regulatory system mediated by the signal molecule DSF controls virulence to plants.