Paired-end sequencing of Fosmid libraries by Illumina

The Antarctic Weddell seal genome reveals evidence of selection on cardiovascular phenotype and lipid handling

The Weddell seal (Leptonychotes weddellii) thrives in its extreme Antarctic environment. We generated the Weddell seal genome assembly and a high-quality annotation to investigate genome-wide evolutionary pressures that underlie its phenotype and to study genes implicated in hypoxia tolerance and a lipid-based metabolism. Genome-wide analyses included gene family expansion/contraction, positive selection, and diverged sequence (acceleration) compared to other placental mammals, identifying selection in coding and non-coding sequence in five pathways that may shape cardiovascular phenotype. Lipid metabolism as well as hypoxia genes contained more accelerated regions in the Weddell seal compared to genomic background. Top-significant genes were SUMO2 and EP300; both regulate hypoxia inducible factor signaling. Liver expression of four genes with the strongest acceleration signals differ between Weddell seals and a terrestrial mammal, sheep. We also report a high-density lipoprotein-like particle in Weddell seal serum not present in other mammals, including the shallow-diving harbor seal.

Genome reconstruction and haplotype phasing using chromosome conformation capture methodologies

Genomic analysis of individuals or organisms is predicated on the availability of high-quality reference and genotype information. With the rapidly dropping costs of high-throughput DNA sequencing, this is becoming readily available for diverse organisms and for increasingly large populations of individuals. Despite these advances, there are still aspects of genome sequencing that remain challenging for existing sequencing methods. This includes the generation of long-range contiguity during genome assembly, identification of structural variants in both germline and somatic tissues, the phasing of haplotypes in diploid organisms and the resolution of genome sequence for organisms derived from complex samples. These types of information are valuable for understanding the role of genome sequence and genetic variation on genome function, and numerous approaches have been developed to address them. Recently, chromosome conformation capture (3C) experiments, such as the Hi-C assay, have emerged as powerful tools to aid in these challenges for genome reconstruction. We will review the current use of Hi-C as a tool for aiding in genome sequencing, addressing the applications, strengths, limitations and potential future directions for the use of 3C data in genome analysis. We argue that unique features of Hi-C experiments make this data type a powerful tool to address challenges in genome sequencing, and that future integration of Hi-C data with alternative sequencing assays will facilitate the continuing revolution in genomic analysis and genome sequencing.

Sequencing and characterization of the macronuclear rDNA minichromosome of the protozoan Tetrahymena pyriformis

Tetrahymena ribosomal DNA (rDNA) is an ideal system for studying eukaryotic DNA replication and gene transcription. In this study, we developed a new method to isolate rDNA from Tetrahymena cells and used it to sequence and annotate the complete 19,670 bp macronuclear rDNA minichromosome of Tetrahymena pyriformis, a species that lacks the germ-line micronucleus and is unable to undergo sexual reproduction. The key features of T. pyriformis and Tetrahymena thermophila rDNA sequences were then compared. Our results showed (i) the short inverted repeats (M repeats) essential for formation of rDNA minichromosome palindromic structure during sexual reproduction in Tetrahymena are highly conserved in T. pyriformis; (ii) in contrast to T. thermophila, which has two tandem domains that coordinately regulate rDNA replication, T. pyriformis has only a single domain; (iii) the 35S pre-rRNA precursor has 80.25% similarity between the two species; and (iv) the G + C content is higher in the transcribed region than the non-transcribed region in both species, but the GC-skew is more stable in T. pyriformis. The new isolation method and annotated information for the T. pyriformis rDNA minichromosome will provide a useful resource for studying DNA replication and chromosome copy number control in Tetrahymena.

A high-throughput BAC end analysis protocol (BAC-anchor) for profiling genome assembly and physical mapping

Traditional approaches for sequencing insertion ends of bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries are laborious and expensive, which are currently some of the bottlenecks limiting a better understanding of the genomic features of auto- or allopolyploid species. Here, we developed a highly efficient and low-cost BAC end analysis protocol, named BAC-anchor, to identify paired-end reads containing large internal gaps. Our approach mainly focused on the identification of high-throughput sequencing reads carrying restriction enzyme cutting sites and searching for large internal gaps based on the mapping locations of both ends of the reads. We sequenced and analysed eight libraries containing over 3 200 000 BAC end clones derived from the BAC library of the tetraploid potato cultivar C88 digested with two restriction enzymes, Cla I and Mlu I. About 25% of the BAC end reads carrying cutting sites generated a 60-100 kb internal gap in the potato DM reference genome, which was consistent with the mapping results of Sanger sequencing of the BAC end clones and indicated large differences between autotetraploid and haploid genotypes in potato. A total of 5341 Cla I- and 165 Mlu I-derived unique reads were distributed on different chromosomes of the DM reference genome and could be used to establish a physical map of target regions and assemble the C88 genome. The reads that matched different chromosomes are especially significant for the further assembly of complex polyploid genomes. Our study provides an example of analysing high-coverage BAC end libraries with low sequencing cost and is a resource for further genome sequencing studies.

High-throughput long paired-end sequencing of a Fosmid library by PacBio

BACKGROUND

Large insert paired-end sequencing technologies are important tools for assembling genomes, delineating associated breakpoints and detecting structural rearrangements. To facilitate the comprehensive detection of inter- and intra-chromosomal structural rearrangements or variants (SVs) and complex genome assembly with long repeats and segmental duplications, we developed a new method based on single-molecule real-time synthesis sequencing technology for generating long paired-end sequences of large insert DNA libraries.

RESULTS

A Fosmid vector, pHZAUFOS3, was developed with the following new features: (1) two 18-bp non-palindromic I-SceI sites flank the cloning site, and another two sites are present in the skeleton of the vector, allowing long DNA inserts (and the long paired-ends in this paper) to be recovered as single fragments and the vector (~ 8 kb) to be fragmented into 2-3 kb fragments by I-SceI digestion and therefore was effectively removed from the long paired-ends (5-10 kb); (2) the chloramphenicol (Cm) resistance gene and replicon (oriV), necessary for colony growth, are located near the two sides of the cloning site, helping to increase the proportion of the paired-end fragments to single-end fragments in the paired-end libraries. Paired-end libraries were constructed by ligating the size-selected, mechanically sheared pooled Fosmid DNA fragments to the Ampicillin (Amp) resistance gene fragment and screening the colonies with Cm and Amp. We tested this method on yeast and Setaria italica Yugu1. Fosmid-size paired-ends with an average length longer than 2 kb for each end were generated. The N50 scaffold lengths of the de novo assemblies of the yeast and S. italica Yugu1 genomes were significantly improved. Five large and five small structural rearrangements or assembly errors spanning tens of bp to tens of kb were identified in S. italica Yugu1 including deletions, inversions, duplications and translocations.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed a new method for long paired-end sequencing of large insert libraries, which can efficiently improve the quality of de novo genome assembly and identify large and small structural rearrangements or assembly errors.

Comprehensive, integrated, and phased whole-genome analysis of the primary ENCODE cell line K562

K562 is widely used in biomedical research. It is one of three tier-one cell lines of ENCODE and also most commonly used for large-scale CRISPR/Cas9 screens. Although its functional genomic and epigenomic characteristics have been extensively studied, its genome sequence and genomic structural features have never been comprehensively analyzed. Such information is essential for the correct interpretation and understanding of the vast troves of existing functional genomics and epigenomics data for K562. We performed and integrated deep-coverage whole-genome (short-insert), mate-pair, and linked-read sequencing as well as karyotyping and array CGH analysis to identify a wide spectrum of genome characteristics in K562: copy numbers (CN) of aneuploid chromosome segments at high-resolution, SNVs and indels (both corrected for CN in aneuploid regions), loss of heterozygosity, megabase-scale phased haplotypes often spanning entire chromosome arms, structural variants (SVs), including small and large-scale complex SVs and nonreference retrotransposon insertions. Many SVs were phased, assembled, and experimentally validated. We identified multiple allele-specific deletions and duplications within the tumor suppressor gene FHIT. Taking aneuploidy into account, we reanalyzed K562 RNA-seq and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing data for allele-specific expression and allele-specific DNA methylation. We also show examples of how deeper insights into regulatory complexity are gained by integrating genomic variant information and structural context with functional genomics and epigenomics data. Furthermore, using K562 haplotype information, we produced an allele-specific CRISPR targeting map. This comprehensive whole-genome analysis serves as a resource for future studies that utilize K562 as well as a framework for the analysis of other cancer genomes.

Independent assessment and improvement of wheat genome sequence assemblies using Fosill jumping libraries

Background

The accurate sequencing and assembly of very large, often polyploid, genomes remains a challenging task, limiting long-range sequence information and phased sequence variation for applications such as plant breeding. The 15-Gb hexaploid bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) genome has been particularly challenging to sequence, and several different approaches have recently generated long-range assemblies. Mapping and understanding the types of assembly errors are important for optimising future sequencing and assembly approaches and for comparative genomics.

Results

Here we use a Fosill 38-kb jumping library to assess medium and longer–range order of different publicly available wheat genome assemblies. Modifications to the Fosill protocol generated longer Illumina sequences and enabled comprehensive genome coverage. Analyses of two independent Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC)-based chromosome-scale assemblies, two independent Illumina whole genome shotgun assemblies, and a hybrid Single Molecule Real Time (SMRT-PacBio) and short read (Illumina) assembly were carried out. We revealed a surprising scale and variety of discrepancies using Fosill mate-pair mapping and validated several of each class. In addition, Fosill mate-pairs were used to scaffold a whole genome Illumina assembly, leading to a 3-fold increase in N50 values.

Conclusions

Our analyses, using an independent means to validate different wheat genome assemblies, show that whole genome shotgun assemblies based solely on Illumina sequences are significantly more accurate by all measures compared to BAC-based chromosome-scale assemblies and hybrid SMRT-Illumina approaches. Although current whole genome assemblies are reasonably accurate and useful, additional improvements will be needed to generate complete assemblies of wheat genomes using open-source, computationally efficient, and cost-effective methods.

Fast-SG: an alignment-free algorithm for hybrid assembly

Background

Long-read sequencing technologies are the ultimate solution for genome repeats, allowing near reference-level reconstructions of large genomes. However, long-read de novo assembly pipelines are computationally intense and require a considerable amount of coverage, thereby hindering their broad application to the assembly of large genomes. Alternatively, hybrid assembly methods that combine short- and long-read sequencing technologies can reduce the time and cost required to produce de novo assemblies of large genomes.

Results

Here, we propose a new method, called Fast-SG, that uses a new ultrafast alignment-free algorithm specifically designed for constructing a scaffolding graph using light-weight data structures. Fast-SG can construct the graph from either short or long reads. This allows the reuse of efficient algorithms designed for short-read data and permits the definition of novel modular hybrid assembly pipelines. Using comprehensive standard datasets and benchmarks, we show how Fast-SG outperforms the state-of-the-art short-read aligners when building the scaffoldinggraph and can be used to extract linking information from either raw or error-corrected long reads. We also show how a hybrid assembly approach using Fast-SG with shallow long-read coverage (5X) and moderate computational resources can produce long-range and accurate reconstructions of the genomes of Arabidopsis thaliana (Ler-0) and human (NA12878).

Conclusions

Fast-SG opens a door to achieve accurate hybrid long-range reconstructions of large genomes with low effort, high portability, and low cost.

P_RNA_scaffolder: a fast and accurate genome scaffolder using paired-end RNA-sequencing reads

BACKGROUND

Obtaining complete gene structures is one major goal of genome assembly. Some gene regions are fragmented in low quality and high-quality assemblies. Therefore, new approaches are needed to recover gene regions. Genomes are widely transcribed, generating messenger and non-coding RNAs. These widespread transcripts can be used to scaffold genomes and complete transcribed regions.

RESULTS

We present P_RNA_scaffolder, a fast and accurate tool using paired-end RNA-sequencing reads to scaffold genomes. This tool aims to improve the completeness of both protein-coding and non-coding genes. After this tool was applied to scaffolding human contigs, the structures of both protein-coding genes and circular RNAs were almost completely recovered and equivalent to those in a complete genome, especially for long proteins and long circular RNAs. Tested in various species, P_RNA_scaffolder exhibited higher speed and efficiency than the existing state-of-the-art scaffolders. This tool also improved the contiguity of genome assemblies generated by current mate-pair scaffolding and third-generation single-molecule sequencing assembly.

CONCLUSIONS

The P_RNA_scaffolder can improve the contiguity of genome assembly and benefit gene prediction. This tool is available at http://www.fishbrowser.org/software/P_RNA_scaffolder .

pBACode: a random-barcode-based high-throughput approach for BAC paired-end sequencing and physical clone mapping

Applications that use Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) libraries often require paired-end sequences and knowledge of the physical location of each clone in plates. To facilitate obtaining this information in high-throughput, we generated pBACode vectors: a pool of BAC cloning vectors, each with a pair of random barcodes flanking its cloning site. In a pBACode BAC library, the BAC ends and their linked barcodes can be sequenced in bulk. Barcode pairs are determined by sequencing the empty pBACode vectors, which allows BAC ends to be paired according to their barcodes. For physical clone mapping, the barcodes are used as unique markers for their linked genomic sequence. After multi-dimensional pooling of BAC clones, the barcodes are sequenced and deconvoluted to locate each clone. We generated a pBACode library of 94,464 clones for the flounder Paralichthys olivaceus and obtained paired-end sequence from 95.4% of the clones. Incorporating BAC paired-ends into the genome preassembly improved its continuity by over 10-fold. Furthermore, we were able to use the barcodes to map the physical locations of each clone in just 50 pools, with up to 11 808 clones per pool. Our physical clone mapping located 90.2% of BAC clones, enabling targeted characterization of chromosomal rearrangements.

Whole-Genome Restriction Mapping by "Subhaploid"-Based RAD Sequencing: An Efficient and Flexible Approach for Physical Mapping and Genome Scaffolding

Assembly of complex genomes using short reads remains a major challenge, which usually yields highly fragmented assemblies. Generation of ultradense linkage maps is promising for anchoring such assemblies, but traditional linkage mapping methods are hindered by the infrequency and unevenness of meiotic recombination that limit attainable map resolution. Here we develop a sequencing-based "in vitro" linkage mapping approach (called RadMap), where chromosome breakage and segregation are realized by generating hundreds of "subhaploid" fosmid/bacterial-artificial-chromosome clone pools, and by restriction site-associated DNA sequencing of these clone pools to produce an ultradense whole-genome restriction map to facilitate genome scaffolding. A bootstrap-based minimum spanning tree algorithm is developed for grouping and ordering of genome-wide markers and is implemented in a user-friendly, integrated software package (AMMO). We perform extensive analyses to validate the power and accuracy of our approach in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana and human. We also demonstrate the utility of RadMap for enhancing the contiguity of a variety of whole-genome shotgun assemblies generated using either short Illumina reads (300 bp) or long PacBio reads (6-14 kb), with up to 15-fold improvement of N50 (∼816 kb-3.7 Mb) and high scaffolding accuracy (98.1-98.5%). RadMap outperforms BioNano and Hi-C when input assembly is highly fragmented (contig N50 = 54 kb). RadMap can capture wide-range contiguity information and provide an efficient and flexible tool for high-resolution physical mapping and scaffolding of highly fragmented assemblies.

De novo assembly of the Aedes aegypti genome using Hi-C yields chromosome-length scaffolds

The Zika outbreak, spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, highlights the need to create high-quality assemblies of large genomes in a rapid and cost-effective way. Here we combine Hi-C data with existing draft assemblies to generate chromosome-length scaffolds. We validate this method by assembling a human genome, de novo, from short reads alone (67× coverage). We then combine our method with draft sequences to create genome assemblies of the mosquito disease vectors Aeaegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus, each consisting of three scaffolds corresponding to the three chromosomes in each species. These assemblies indicate that almost all genomic rearrangements among these species occur within, rather than between, chromosome arms. The genome assembly procedure we describe is fast, inexpensive, and accurate, and can be applied to many species.

Comparative Analysis Highlights Variable Genome Content of Wheat Rusts and Divergence of the Mating Loci

Three members of the Puccinia genus, Pucciniatriticina (Pt), Pstriiformis f.sp. tritici (Pst), and Pgraminis f.sp. tritici (Pgt), cause the most common and often most significant foliar diseases of wheat. While similar in biology and life cycle, each species is uniquely adapted and specialized. The genomes of Pt and Pst were sequenced and compared to that of Pgt to identify common and distinguishing gene content, to determine gene variation among wheat rust pathogens, other rust fungi, and basidiomycetes, and to identify genes of significance for infection. Pt had the largest genome of the three, estimated at 135 Mb with expansion due to mobile elements and repeats encompassing 50.9% of contig bases; in comparison, repeats occupy 31.5% for Pst and 36.5% for Pgt We find all three genomes are highly heterozygous, with Pst [5.97 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)/kb] nearly twice the level detected in Pt (2.57 SNPs/kb) and that previously reported for Pgt Of 1358 predicted effectors in Pt, 784 were found expressed across diverse life cycle stages including the sexual stage. Comparison to related fungi highlighted the expansion of gene families involved in transcriptional regulation and nucleotide binding, protein modification, and carbohydrate degradation enzymes. Two allelic homeodomain pairs, HD1 and HD2, were identified in each dikaryotic Puccinia species along with three pheromone receptor (STE3) mating-type genes, two of which are likely representing allelic specificities. The HD proteins were active in a heterologous Ustilago maydis mating assay and host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) of the HD and STE3 alleles reduced wheat host infection.

Preparing Fosmid Mate-Paired Libraries Using Cre-LoxP Recombination

Fosmid end sequencing has been widely utilized in genome sequence assemblies and genome structural variation studies. We have developed a new approach to construct fosmid paired-end libraries that is suitable for Illumina sequencing platform. This approach employs a newly modified fosmid vector (pFosClip) which contains two loxP sites with identical orientation and two inverse Illumina adaptor priming sites flanking the cloning site. DNA prepared from the fosmid library constructed with pFosClip can be treated with the Cre recombinase to remove most of the vector DNA, leaving only 107 bp of the vector sequence with insert DNA. Frequent cutting restriction enzymes and ligase are used to digest the fosmid DNA to small (less than 1 Kb) fragments and recircularize the fosmid ends and all the internal fragments. Finally an inverse PCR step with the Illumina primers is used to enrich the fosmid paired ends (PEs) for sequencing. The advantages of this approach are the following: (1) the circularization of short fragments with sticky ends is efficient; therefore the success rate is higher than other approaches that attempt to join both blunt ends of large fosmid vectors; and (2) the restriction enzyme cutting generates an identifiable junction tag for splitting the paired reads. (3) Multiple restriction enzymes can be used to overcome possible enzyme-cutting bias. Our results have shown that this approach has produced mostly fosmid size (30-40 Kb) pairs from the targeted fungi and plant genomes and has drastically increased the scaffold sizes in the assembled genomes.

A hybrid approach for de novo human genome sequence assembly and phasing

Despite tremendous progress in genome sequencing, the basic goal of producing phased (haplotype-resolved) genome sequence with end-to-end contiguity for each chromosome at reasonable cost and effort is still unrealized. In this study, we describe a new approach to perform de novo genome assembly and experimental phasing by integrating the data from Illumina short-read sequencing, 10X Genomics Linked-Read sequencing, and BioNano Genomics genome mapping to yield a high-quality, phased, de novo assembled human genome.

Improvement of the banana "Musa acuminata" reference sequence using NGS data and semi-automated bioinformatics methods

Background

Recent advances in genomics indicate functional significance of a majority of genome sequences and their long range interactions. As a detailed examination of genome organization and function requires very high quality genome sequence, the objective of this study was to improve reference genome assembly of banana (Musa acuminata).

Results

We have developed a modular bioinformatics pipeline to improve genome sequence assemblies, which can handle various types of data. The pipeline comprises several semi-automated tools. However, unlike classical automated tools that are based on global parameters, the semi-automated tools proposed an expert mode for a user who can decide on suggested improvements through local compromises. The pipeline was used to improve the draft genome sequence of Musa acuminata. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) of a segregating population and paired-end sequencing were used to detect and correct scaffold misassemblies. Long insert size paired-end reads identified scaffold junctions and fusions missed by automated assembly methods. GBS markers were used to anchor scaffolds to pseudo-molecules with a new bioinformatics approach that avoids the tedious step of marker ordering during genetic map construction. Furthermore, a genome map was constructed and used to assemble scaffolds into super scaffolds. Finally, a consensus gene annotation was projected on the new assembly from two pre-existing annotations. This approach reduced the total Musa scaffold number from 7513 to 1532 (i.e. by 80 %), with an N50 that increased from 1.3 Mb (65 scaffolds) to 3.0 Mb (26 scaffolds). 89.5 % of the assembly was anchored to the 11 Musa chromosomes compared to the previous 70 %. Unknown sites (N) were reduced from 17.3 to 10.0 %.

Conclusion

The release of the Musa acuminata reference genome version 2 provides a platform for detailed analysis of banana genome variation, function and evolution. Bioinformatics tools developed in this work can be used to improve genome sequence assemblies in other species.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12864-016-2579-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Evaluation of DISCOVAR de novo using a mosquito sample for cost-effective short-read genome assembly

BACKGROUND

De novo reference assemblies that are affordable, practical to produce, and of sufficient quality for most downstream applications, remain an unattained goal for many taxa. Insects, which may yield too little DNA from individual specimens for long-read sequencing library construction and often have highly heterozygous genomes, can be particularly hard to assemble using inexpensive short-read sequencing data. The large number of insect species with medical or economic importance makes this a critical problem to address.

RESULTS

Using the assembler DISCOVAR de novo, we assembled the genome of the African malaria mosquito Anopheles arabiensis using 250 bp reads from a single library. The resulting assembly had a contig N50 of 22,433 bp, and recovered the gene set nearly as well as the ALLPATHS-LG AaraD1 An. arabiensis assembly produced with reads from three sequencing libraries and much greater resources. DISCOVAR de novo appeared to perform better than ALLPATHS-LG in regions of low complexity.

CONCLUSIONS

DISCOVAR de novo performed well assembling the genome of an insect of medical importance, using simpler sequencing input than previous anopheline assemblies. We have shown that this program is a viable tool for cost-effective assembly of a modestly-sized insect genome.

Chromosome-scale shotgun assembly using an in vitro method for long-range linkage

Long-range and highly accurate de novo assembly from short-read data is one of the most pressing challenges in genomics. Recently, it has been shown that read pairs generated by proximity ligation of DNA in chromatin of living tissue can address this problem, dramatically increasing the scaffold contiguity of assemblies. Here, we describe a simpler approach (“Chicago”) based on in vitro reconstituted chromatin. We generated two Chicago data sets with human DNA and developed a statistical model and a new software pipeline (“HiRise”) that can identify poor quality joins and produce accurate, long-range sequence scaffolds. We used these to construct a highly accurate de novo assembly and scaffolding of a human genome with scaffold N50 of 20 Mbp. We also demonstrated the utility of Chicago for improving existing assemblies by reassembling and scaffolding the genome of the American alligator. With a single library and one lane of Illumina HiSeq sequencing, we increased the scaffold N50 of the American alligator from 508 kbp to 10 Mbp.

Genomics as the key to unlocking the polyploid potential of wheat

Polyploidy has played a central role in plant genome evolution and in the formation of new species such as tetraploid pasta wheat and hexaploid bread wheat. Until recently, the high sequence conservation between homoeologous genes, together with the large genome size of polyploid wheat, had hindered genomic analyses in this important crop species. In the past 5 yr, however, the advent of next-generation sequencing has radically changed the wheat genomics landscape. Here, we review a series of advances in genomic resources and tools for functional genomics that are shifting the paradigm of what is possible in wheat molecular genetics and breeding. We discuss how understanding the relationship between homoeologues can inform approaches to modulate the response of quantitative traits in polyploid wheat; we also argue that functional redundancy has 'locked up' a wide range of phenotypic variation in wheat. We explore how genomics provides key tools to inform targeted manipulation of multiple homoeologues, thereby allowing researchers and plant breeders to unlock the full polyploid potential of wheat.

Genetic variation and the de novo assembly of human genomes

The discovery of genetic variation and the assembly of genome sequences are both inextricably linked to advances in DNA-sequencing technology. Short-read massively parallel sequencing has revolutionized our ability to discover genetic variation but is insufficient to generate high-quality genome assemblies or resolve most structural variation. Full resolution of variation is only guaranteed by complete de novo assembly of a genome. Here, we review approaches to genome assembly, the nature of gaps or missing sequences, and biases in the assembly process. We describe the challenges of generating a complete de novo genome assembly using current technologies and the impact that being able to perfectly sequence the genome would have on understanding human disease and evolution. Finally, we summarize recent technological advances that improve both contiguity and accuracy and emphasize the importance of complete de novo assembly as opposed to read mapping as the primary means to understanding the full range of human genetic variation.

Human Structural Variation: Mechanisms of Chromosome Rearrangements

Chromosome structural variation (SV) is a normal part of variation in the human genome, but some classes of SV can cause neurodevelopmental disorders. Analysis of the DNA sequence at SV breakpoints can reveal mutational mechanisms and risk factors for chromosome rearrangement. Large-scale SV breakpoint studies have become possible recently owing to advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) including whole-genome sequencing (WGS). These findings have shed light on complex forms of SV such as triplications, inverted duplications, insertional translocations, and chromothripsis. Sequence-level breakpoint data resolve SV structure and determine how genes are disrupted, fused, and/or misregulated by breakpoints. Recent improvements in breakpoint sequencing have also revealed non-allelic homologous recombination (NAHR) between paralogous long interspersed nuclear element (LINE) or human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) repeats as a cause of deletions, duplications, and translocations. This review covers the genomic organization of simple and complex constitutional SVs, as well as the molecular mechanisms of their formation.

A whole-genome shotgun approach for assembling and anchoring the hexaploid bread wheat genome

Polyploid species have long been thought to be recalcitrant to whole-genome assembly. By combining high-throughput sequencing, recent developments in parallel computing, and genetic mapping, we derive, de novo, a sequence assembly representing 9.1 Gbp of the highly repetitive 16 Gbp genome of hexaploid wheat, Triticum aestivum, and assign 7.1 Gb of this assembly to chromosomal locations. The genome representation and accuracy of our assembly is comparable or even exceeds that of a chromosome-by-chromosome shotgun assembly. Our assembly and mapping strategy uses only short read sequencing technology and is applicable to any species where it is possible to construct a mapping population.

A whole-genome shotgun approach for assembling and anchoring the hexaploid bread wheat genome

Polyploid species have long been thought to be recalcitrant to whole-genome assembly. By combining high-throughput sequencing, recent developments in parallel computing, and genetic mapping, we derive, de novo, a sequence assembly representing 9.1 Gbp of the highly repetitive 16 Gbp genome of hexaploid wheat, Triticum aestivum, and assign 7.1 Gb of this assembly to chromosomal locations. The genome representation and accuracy of our assembly is comparable or even exceeds that of a chromosome-by-chromosome shotgun assembly. Our assembly and mapping strategy uses only short read sequencing technology and is applicable to any species where it is possible to construct a mapping population.

Convergent evolution of the genomes of marine mammals

Marine mammals from different mammalian orders share several phenotypic traits adapted to the aquatic environment and therefore represent a classic example of convergent evolution. To investigate convergent evolution at the genomic level, we sequenced and performed de novo assembly of the genomes of three species of marine mammals (the killer whale, walrus and manatee) from three mammalian orders that share independently evolved phenotypic adaptations to a marine existence. Our comparative genomic analyses found that convergent amino acid substitutions were widespread throughout the genome and that a subset of these substitutions were in genes evolving under positive selection and putatively associated with a marine phenotype. However, we found higher levels of convergent amino acid substitutions in a control set of terrestrial sister taxa to the marine mammals. Our results suggest that, whereas convergent molecular evolution is relatively common, adaptive molecular convergence linked to phenotypic convergence is comparatively rare.

Mosquito genomics. Highly evolvable malaria vectors: the genomes of 16 Anopheles mosquitoes

Variation in vectorial capacity for human malaria among Anopheles mosquito species is determined by many factors, including behavior, immunity, and life history. To investigate the genomic basis of vectorial capacity and explore new avenues for vector control, we sequenced the genomes of 16 anopheline mosquito species from diverse locations spanning ~100 million years of evolution. Comparative analyses show faster rates of gene gain and loss, elevated gene shuffling on the X chromosome, and more intron losses, relative to Drosophila. Some determinants of vectorial capacity, such as chemosensory genes, do not show elevated turnover but instead diversify through protein-sequence changes. This dynamism of anopheline genes and genomes may contribute to their flexible capacity to take advantage of new ecological niches, including adapting to humans as primary hosts.

Pilon: an integrated tool for comprehensive microbial variant detection and genome assembly improvement

Advances in modern sequencing technologies allow us to generate sufficient data to analyze hundreds of bacterial genomes from a single machine in a single day. This potential for sequencing massive numbers of genomes calls for fully automated methods to produce high-quality assemblies and variant calls. We introduce Pilon, a fully automated, all-in-one tool for correcting draft assemblies and calling sequence variants of multiple sizes, including very large insertions and deletions. Pilon works with many types of sequence data, but is particularly strong when supplied with paired end data from two Illumina libraries with small e.g., 180 bp and large e.g., 3–5 Kb inserts. Pilon significantly improves draft genome assemblies by correcting bases, fixing mis-assemblies and filling gaps. For both haploid and diploid genomes, Pilon produces more contiguous genomes with fewer errors, enabling identification of more biologically relevant genes. Furthermore, Pilon identifies small variants with high accuracy as compared to state-of-the-art tools and is unique in its ability to accurately identify large sequence variants including duplications and resolve large insertions. Pilon is being used to improve the assemblies of thousands of new genomes and to identify variants from thousands of clinically relevant bacterial strains. Pilon is freely available as open source software.

Sequencing and assembly of the 22-gb loblolly pine genome

Conifers are the predominant gymnosperm. The size and complexity of their genomes has presented formidable technical challenges for whole-genome shotgun sequencing and assembly. We employed novel strategies that allowed us to determine the loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) reference genome sequence, the largest genome assembled to date. Most of the sequence data were derived from whole-genome shotgun sequencing of a single megagametophyte, the haploid tissue of a single pine seed. Although that constrained the quantity of available DNA, the resulting haploid sequence data were well-suited for assembly. The haploid sequence was augmented with multiple linking long-fragment mate pair libraries from the parental diploid DNA. For the longest fragments, we used novel fosmid DiTag libraries. Sequences from the linking libraries that did not match the megagametophyte were identified and removed. Assembly of the sequence data were aided by condensing the enormous number of paired-end reads into a much smaller set of longer “super-reads,” rendering subsequent assembly with an overlap-based assembly algorithm computationally feasible. To further improve the contiguity and biological utility of the genome sequence, additional scaffolding methods utilizing independent genome and transcriptome assemblies were implemented. The combination of these strategies resulted in a draft genome sequence of 20.15 billion bases, with an N50 scaffold size of 66.9 kbp.

The Naked Mole Rat Genome Resource: facilitating analyses of cancer and longevity-related adaptations

Motivation: The naked mole rat (Heterocephalus glaber) is an exceptionally long-lived and cancer-resistant rodent native to East Africa. Although its genome was previously sequenced, here we report a new assembly sequenced by us with substantially higher N50 values for scaffolds and contigs.

Results: We analyzed the annotation of this new improved assembly and identified candidate genomic adaptations which may have contributed to the evolution of the naked mole rat’s extraordinary traits, including in regions of p53, and the hyaluronan receptors CD44 and HMMR (RHAMM). Furthermore, we developed a freely available web portal, the Naked Mole Rat Genome Resource (http://www.naked-mole-rat.org), featuring the data and results of our analysis, to assist researchers interested in the genome and genes of the naked mole rat, and also to facilitate further studies on this fascinating species.

Availability and implementation: The Naked Mole Rat Genome Resource is freely available online at http://www.naked-mole-rat.org. This resource is open source and the source code is available at https://github.com/maglab/naked-mole-rat-portal.

Contact:jp@senescence.info

A new model army: Emerging fish models to study the genomics of vertebrate Evo-Devo

Many fields of biology--including vertebrate Evo-Devo research--are facing an explosion of genomic and transcriptomic sequence information and a multitude of fish species are now swimming in this "genomic tsunami." Here, we first give an overview of recent developments in sequencing fish genomes and transcriptomes that identify properties of fish genomes requiring particular attention and propose strategies to overcome common challenges in fish genomics. We suggest that the generation of chromosome-level genome assemblies--for which we introduce the term "chromonome"--should be a key component of genomic investigations in fish because they enable large-scale conserved synteny analyses that inform orthology detection, a process critical for connectivity of genomes. Orthology calls in vertebrates, especially in teleost fish, are complicated by divergent evolution of gene repertoires and functions following two rounds of genome duplication in the ancestor of vertebrates and a third round at the base of teleost fish. Second, using examples of spotted gar, basal teleosts, zebrafish-related cyprinids, cavefish, livebearers, icefish, and lobefin fish, we illustrate how next generation sequencing technologies liberate emerging fish systems from genomic ignorance and transform them into a new model army to answer longstanding questions on the genomic and developmental basis of their biodiversity. Finally, we discuss recent progress in the genetic toolbox for the major fish models for functional analysis, zebrafish, and medaka, that can be transferred to many other fish species to study in vivo the functional effect of evolutionary genomic change as Evo-Devo research enters the postgenomic era.

Generation of physical map contig-specific sequences

Rapid advances of the next-generation sequencing technologies have allowed whole genome sequencing of many species. However, with the current sequencing technologies, the whole genome sequence assemblies often fall in short in one of the four quality measurements: accuracy, contiguity, connectivity, and completeness. In particular, small-sized contigs and scaffolds limit the applicability of whole genome sequences for genetic analysis. To enhance the quality of whole genome sequence assemblies, particularly the scaffolding capabilities, additional genomic resources are required. Among these, sequences derived from known physical locations offer great powers for scaffolding. In this mini-review, we will describe the principles, procedures and applications of physical-map-derived sequences, with the focus on physical map contig-specific sequences.

Efficient de novo assembly of large and complex genomes by massively parallel sequencing of Fosmid pools

BACKGROUND

Sampling genomes with Fosmid vectors and sequencing of pooled Fosmid libraries on the Illumina platform for massive parallel sequencing is a novel and promising approach to optimizing the trade-off between sequencing costs and assembly quality.

RESULTS

In order to sequence the genome of Norway spruce, which is of great size and complexity, we developed and applied a new technology based on the massive production, sequencing, and assembly of Fosmid pools (FP). The spruce chromosomes were sampled with ~40,000 bp Fosmid inserts to obtain around two-fold genome coverage, in parallel with traditional whole genome shotgun sequencing (WGS) of haploid and diploid genomes. Compared to the WGS results, the contiguity and quality of the FP assemblies were high, and they allowed us to fill WGS gaps resulting from repeats, low coverage, and allelic differences. The FP contig sets were further merged with WGS data using a novel software package GAM-NGS.

CONCLUSIONS

By exploiting FP technology, the first published assembly of a conifer genome was sequenced entirely with massively parallel sequencing. Here we provide a comprehensive report on the different features of the approach and the optimization of the process.We have made public the input data (FASTQ format) for the set of pools used in this study:ftp://congenie.org/congenie/Nystedt_2013/Assembly/ProcessedData/FosmidPools/.(alternatively accessible via http://congenie.org/downloads).The software used for running the assembly process is available at http://research.scilifelab.se/andrej_alexeyenko/downloads/fpools/.

Diminishing return for increased Mappability with longer sequencing reads: implications of the k-mer distributions in the human genome

Background

The amount of non-unique sequence (non-singletons) in a genome directly affects the difficulty of read alignment to a reference assembly for high throughput-sequencing data. Although a longer read is more likely to be uniquely mapped to the reference genome, a quantitative analysis of the influence of read lengths on mappability has been lacking. To address this question, we evaluate the k-mer distribution of the human reference genome. The k-mer frequency is determined for k ranging from 20 bp to 1000 bp.

Results

We observe that the proportion of non-singletons k-mers decreases slowly with increasing k, and can be fitted by piecewise power-law functions with different exponents at different ranges of k. A slower decay at greater values for k indicates more limited gains in mappability for read lengths between 200 bp and 1000 bp. The frequency distributions of k-mers exhibit long tails with a power-law-like trend, and rank frequency plots exhibit a concave Zipf’s curve. The most frequent 1000-mers comprise 172 regions, which include four large stretches on chromosomes 1 and X, containing genes of biomedical relevance. Comparison with other databases indicates that the 172 regions can be broadly classified into two types: those containing LINE transposable elements and those containing segmental duplications.

Conclusion

Read mappability as measured by the proportion of singletons increases steadily up to the length scale around 200 bp. When read length increases above 200 bp, smaller gains in mappability are expected. Moreover, the proportion of non-singletons decreases with read lengths much slower than linear. Even a read length of 1000 bp would not allow the unique alignment of reads for many coding regions of human genes. A mix of techniques will be needed for efficiently producing high-quality data that cover the complete human genome.

Discovery of recurrent structural variants in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

We present the discovery of genes recurrently involved in structural variation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and the identification of a novel type of somatic structural variant. We identified the variants with high complexity mate-pair libraries and a novel computational algorithm specifically designed for tumor-normal comparisons, SMASH. SMASH combines signals from split reads and mate-pair discordance to detect somatic structural variants. We demonstrate a >90% validation rate and a breakpoint reconstruction accuracy of 3 bp by Sanger sequencing. Our approach identified three in-frame gene fusions (YAP1-MAML2, PTPLB-RSRC1, and SP3-PTK2) that had strong levels of expression in corresponding NPC tissues. We found two cases of a novel type of structural variant, which we call “coupled inversion,” one of which produced the YAP1-MAML2 fusion. To investigate whether the identified fusion genes are recurrent, we performed fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) to screen 196 independent NPC cases. We observed recurrent rearrangements of MAML2 (three cases), PTK2 (six cases), and SP3 (two cases), corresponding to a combined rate of structural variation recurrence of 6% among tested NPC tissues.

L_RNA_scaffolder: scaffolding genomes with transcripts

Background

Generation of large mate-pair libraries is necessary for de novo genome assembly but the procedure is complex and time-consuming. Furthermore, in some complex genomes, it is hard to increase the N50 length even with large mate-pair libraries, which leads to low transcript coverage. Thus, it is necessary to develop other simple scaffolding approaches, to at least solve the elongation of transcribed fragments.

Results

We describe L_RNA_scaffolder, a novel genome scaffolding method that uses long transcriptome reads to order, orient and combine genomic fragments into larger sequences. To demonstrate the accuracy of the method, the zebrafish genome was scaffolded. With expanded human transcriptome data, the N50 of human genome was doubled and L_RNA_scaffolder out-performed most scaffolding results by existing scaffolders which employ mate-pair libraries. In these two examples, the transcript coverage was almost complete, especially for long transcripts. We applied L_RNA_scaffolder to the highly polymorphic pearl oyster draft genome and the gene model length significantly increased.

Conclusions

The simplicity and high-throughput of RNA-seq data makes this approach suitable for genome scaffolding. L_RNA_scaffolder is available at http://www.fishbrowser.org/software/L_RNA_scaffolder.

Identification and survey of a novel avian coronavirus in ducks

The rapid discovery of novel viruses using next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies including DNA-Seq and RNA-Seq, has greatly expanded our understanding of viral diversity in recent years. The timely identification of novel viruses using NGS technologies is also important for us to control emerging infectious diseases caused by novel viruses. In this study, we identified a novel duck coronavirus (CoV), distinct with chicken infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), using RNA-Seq. The novel duck-specific CoV was a potential novel species within the genus Gammacoronavirus, as indicated by sequences of three regions in the viral 1b gene. We also performed a survey of CoVs in domestic fowls in China using reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), targeting the viral nucleocapsid (N) gene. A total of 102 CoV positives were identified through the survey. Phylogenetic analysis of the viral N sequences suggested that CoVs in domestic fowls have diverged into several region-specific or host-specific clades or subclades in the world, and IBVs can infect ducks, geese and pigeons, although they mainly circulate in chickens. Moreover, this study provided novel data supporting the notion that some host-specific CoVs other than IBVs circulate in ducks, geese and pigeons, and indicated that the novel duck-specific CoV identified through RNA-Seq in this study is genetically closer to some CoVs circulating in wild water fowls. Taken together, this study shed new insight into the diversity, distribution, evolution and control of avian CoVs.

The evolution of the Anopheles 16 genomes project

We report the imminent completion of a set of reference genome assemblies for 16 species of Anopheles mosquitoes. In addition to providing a generally useful resource for comparative genomic analyses, these genome sequences will greatly facilitate exploration of the capacity exhibited by some Anopheline mosquito species to serve as vectors for malaria parasites. A community analysis project will commence soon to perform a thorough comparative genomic investigation of these newly sequenced genomes. Completion of this project via the use of short next-generation sequence reads required innovation in both the bioinformatic and laboratory realms, and the resulting knowledge gained could prove useful for genome sequencing projects targeting other unconventional genomes.

Genomics reveals new landscapes for crop improvement

The sequencing of large and complex genomes of crop species, facilitated by new sequencing technologies and bioinformatic approaches, has provided new opportunities for crop improvement. Current challenges include understanding how genetic variation translates into phenotypic performance in the field.

Improving mammalian genome scaffolding using large insert mate-pair next-generation sequencing

Background

Paired-tag sequencing approaches are commonly used for the analysis of genome structure. However, mammalian genomes have a complex organization with a variety of repetitive elements that complicate comprehensive genome-wide analyses.

Results

Here, we systematically assessed the utility of paired-end and mate-pair (MP) next-generation sequencing libraries with insert sizes ranging from 170 bp to 25 kb, for genome coverage and for improving scaffolding of a mammalian genome (Rattus norvegicus). Despite a lower library complexity, large insert MP libraries (20 or 25 kb) provided very high physical genome coverage and were found to efficiently span repeat elements in the genome. Medium-sized (5, 8 or 15 kb) MP libraries were much more efficient for genome structure analysis than the more commonly used shorter insert paired-end and 3 kb MP libraries. Furthermore, the combination of medium- and large insert libraries resulted in a 3-fold increase in N50 in scaffolding processes. Finally, we show that our data can be used to evaluate and improve contig order and orientation in the current rat reference genome assembly.

Conclusions

We conclude that applying combinations of mate-pair libraries with insert sizes that match the distributions of repetitive elements improves contig scaffolding and can contribute to the finishing of draft genomes.

Systematic analysis of palatal transcriptome to identify cleft palate genes within TGFβ3-knockout mice alleles: RNA-Seq analysis of TGFβ3 Mice

Background

In humans, cleft palate (CP) accounts for one of the largest number of birth defects with a complex genetic and environmental etiology. TGFβ3 has been established as an important regulator of palatal fusion in mice and it has been shown that TGFβ3-null mice exhibit CP without any other major deformities. However, the genes that regulate cellular decisions and molecular mechanisms maintained by the TGFβ3 pathway throughout palatogenesis are predominantly unexplored. Our objective in this study was to analyze global transcriptome changes within the palate during different gestational ages within TGFβ3 knockout mice to identify TGFβ3-associated genes previously unknown to be associated with the development of cleft palate. We used deep sequencing technology, RNA-Seq, to analyze the transcriptome of TGFβ3 knockout mice at crucial stages of palatogenesis, including palatal growth (E14.5), adhesion (E15.5), and fusion (E16.5).

Results

The overall transcriptome analysis of TGFβ3 wildtype mice (C57BL/6) reveals that almost 6000 genes were upregulated during the transition from E14.5 to E15.5 and more than 2000 were downregulated from E15.5 to E16.5. Using bioinformatics tools and databases, we identified the most comprehensive list of CP genes (n = 322) in which mutations cause CP either in humans or mice, and analyzed their expression patterns. The expression motifs of CP genes between TGFβ3+/− and TGFβ3−/− were not significantly different from each other, and the expression of the majority of CP genes remained unchanged from E14.5 to E16.5. Using these patterns, we identified 8 unique genes within TGFβ3−/− mice (Chrng, Foxc2, H19, Kcnj13, Lhx8, Meox2, Shh, and Six3), which may function as the primary contributors to the development of cleft palate in TGFβ3−/− mice. When the significantly altered CP genes were overlaid with TGFβ signaling, all of these genes followed the Smad-dependent pathway.

Conclusions

Our study represents the first analysis of the palatal transcriptome of the mouse, as well as TGFβ3 knockout mice, using deep sequencing methods. In this study, we characterized the critical regulation of palatal transcripts that may play key regulatory roles through crucial stages of palatal development. We identified potential causative CP genes in a TGFβ3 knockout model, which may lead to a better understanding of the genetic mechanisms of palatogenesis and provide novel potential targets for gene therapy approaches to treat cleft palate.

HTS-PEG: a method for high throughput sequencing of the paired-ends of genomic libraries

Second generation sequencing has been widely used to sequence whole genomes. Though various paired-end sequencing methods have been developed to construct the long scaffold from contigs derived from shotgun sequencing, the classical paired-end sequencing of the Bacteria Artificial Chromosome (BAC) or fosmid libraries by the Sanger method still plays an important role in genome assembly. However, sequencing libraries with the Sanger method is expensive and time-consuming. Here we report a new strategy to sequence the paired-ends of genomic libraries with parallel pyrosequencing, using a Chinese amphioxus (Branchiostoma belcheri) BAC library as an example. In total, approximately 12,670 non-redundant paired-end sequences were generated. Mapping them to the primary scaffolds of Chinese amphioxus, we obtained 413 ultra-scaffolds from 1,182 primary scaffolds, and the N50 scaffold length was increased approximately 55 kb, which is about a 10% improvement. We provide a universal and cost-effective method for sequencing the ultra-long paired-ends of genomic libraries. This method can be very easily implemented in other second generation sequencing platforms.

Capturing native long-range contiguity by in situ library construction and optical sequencing

The relatively short read lengths associated with the most cost-effective DNA sequencing technologies have limited their use in de novo genome assembly, structural variation detection, and haplotype-resolved genome sequencing. Consequently, there is a strong need for methods that capture various scales of contiguity information at a throughput commensurate with the current scale of massively parallel sequencing. We propose in situ library construction and optical sequencing on the flow cells of currently available massively parallel sequencing platforms as an efficient means of capturing both contiguity information and primary sequence with a single technology. In this proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate basic feasibility by generating >30,000 Escherichia coli paired-end reads separated by 1, 2, or 3 kb using in situ library construction on standard Illumina flow cells. We also show that it is possible to stretch single molecules ranging from 3 to 8 kb on the surface of a flow cell before in situ library construction, thereby enabling the production of clusters whose physical relationship to one another on the flow cell is related to genomic distance.