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July 7, 2019

Supergene evolution triggered by the introgression of a chromosomal inversion.

Supergenes are groups of tightly linked loci whose variation is inherited as a single Mendelian locus and are a common genetic architecture for complex traits under balancing selection [1-8]. Supergene alleles are long-range haplotypes with numerous mutations underlying distinct adaptive strategies, often maintained in linkage disequilibrium through the suppression of recombination by chromosomal rearrangements [1, 5, 7-9]. However, the mechanism governing the formation of supergenes is not well understood and poses the paradox of establishing divergent functional haplotypes in the face of recombination. Here, we show that the formation of the supergene alleles encoding mimicry polymorphism in the butterfly Heliconius numata is associated with the introgression of a divergent, inverted chromosomal segment. Haplotype divergence and linkage disequilibrium indicate that supergene alleles, each allowing precise wing-pattern resemblance to distinct butterfly models, originate from over a million years of independent chromosomal evolution in separate lineages. These “superalleles” have evolved from a chromosomal inversion captured by introgression and maintained in balanced polymorphism, triggering supergene inheritance. This mode of evolution involving the introgression of a chromosomal rearrangement is likely to be a common feature of complex structural polymorphisms associated with the coexistence of distinct adaptive syndromes. This shows that the reticulation of genealogies may have a powerful influence on the evolution of genetic architectures in nature. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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July 7, 2019

Hercules: a profile HMM-based hybrid error correction algorithm for long reads.

Choosing whether to use second or third generation sequencing platforms can lead to trade-offs between accuracy and read length. Several types of studies require long and accurate reads. In such cases researchers often combine both technologies and the erroneous long reads are corrected using the short reads. Current approaches rely on various graph or alignment based techniques and do not take the error profile of the underlying technology into account. Efficient machine learning algorithms that address these shortcomings have the potential to achieve more accurate integration of these two technologies. We propose Hercules, the first machine learning-based long read error correction algorithm. Hercules models every long read as a profile Hidden Markov Model with respect to the underlying platform’s error profile. The algorithm learns a posterior transition/emission probability distribution for each long read to correct errors in these reads. We show on two DNA-seq BAC clones (CH17-157L1 and CH17-227A2) that Hercules-corrected reads have the highest mapping rate among all competing algorithms and have the highest accuracy when the breadth of coverage is high. On a large human CHM1 cell line WGS data set, Hercules is one of the few scalable algorithms; and among those, it achieves the highest accuracy.

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July 7, 2019

Smooth q-Gram, and its applications to detection of overlaps among long, error-prone sequencing reads

We propose smoothq-gram, the frst variant of q-gram that captures q-gram pair within a small edit distance. We apply smooth q-gram to the problem of detecting overlapping pairs of error-prone reads produced by single molecule real time sequencing (SMRT), which is the frst and most critical step of the de novo fragment assembly of SMRT reads. We have implemented and tested our algorithm on a set of real world benchmarks. Our empirical results demonstrated the signifcant superiority of our algorithm over the existing q-gram based algorithms in accuracy.

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July 7, 2019

The complete genome sequence of Colwellia sp. NB097-1 reveals evidence for the potential genetic basis for its adaptation to cold environment

Colwellia sp. NB097-1, isolated from a marine sediment sample from the Bering Sea, is a psychrophilic bacterium whose optimal and maximal growth temperatures were 13 and 25°C, respectively. Here, we present the complete genome of Colwellia sp. NB097-1, which was 4,661,274bp in length with a GC content of 38.5%. The genome provided evidence for the potential genetic basis for its adaptation to a cold environment, such as producing compatible solutes and cold-shock proteins, increasing membrane fluidity and synthesizing glycogen. Some cold-adaptive proteases were also detected in the genome of Colwellia sp. NB097-1. Protease activity analysis further showed that extracellular proteases of Colwellia sp. NB097-1 remained active at low temperatures. The complete genome sequence may be helpful to reveal how this strain survives at low temperature and to find cold-adaptive proteases that may be useful to industry.

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July 7, 2019

Complete genome of Halomonas aestuarii Hb3, isolated from tidal flat

Halomonas aestuarii Hb3, a moderately halophilic bacterium belonging to the class Gammaproteobacteria, was isolated from a tidal flat. Herein, we report the complete genome sequence of its strain Hb3. Its size is estimated at 3.54Mbp with a mean G+C content of 67.9%. The genome includes 3238 open reading frames, 65 transfer RNAs, and four ribosomal RNA gene operons. Genes related to the degradation of monoaromatic compounds, detoxification of arsenic, and production of polymers were identified. These features indicate that this strain may be important for ecological and industrial application.

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July 7, 2019

Genome sequencing to develop Paenibacillus donghaensis strain JH8T (KCTC 13049T=LMG 23780T) as a microbial fertilizer and correlation to its plant growth-promoting phenotype

Paenibacillus donghaensis JH8T (KCTC 13049T=LMG 23780T) is a Gram-positive, mesophilic, endospore-forming bacterium isolated from East Sea sediment at depth of 500m in Korea. The strain exhibited plant cell wall hydrolytic and plant growth promoting abilities. The complete genome of P. donghaensis strain JH8T contains 7602 protein-coding sequences and an average GC content of 49.7% in its chromosome (8.54Mbp). Genes encoding proteins related to the degradation of plant cell wall, nitrogen-fixation, phosphate solubilization, and synthesis of siderophore were existed in the P. donghaensis strain JH8T genome, indicating that this strain can be used as an eco-friendly microbial agent for increasing agricultural productivity.

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July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequence of Granulosicoccus antarcticus type strain IMCC3135T, a marine gammaproteobacterium with a putative dimethylsulfoniopropionate demethylase gene

Granulosicoccus, the only genus of the family Granulosicoccaceae, occupies a distinct phylogenetic position within the order Chromatiales of the Gammaproteobacteria. The genus has been found in various marine regions, especially associated with diverse marine macroalgae. No genomes have been reported for the genus Granulosicoccus thus far, hampering studies on physiology and lifestyles of this genus. Here we report the complete genome sequence of strain IMCC3135T, the type strain of Granulosicoccus antarcticus isolated from Antarctic coastal seawater. The genome was 7.78Mbp long and harbored many genes involved in sulfur metabolism. In particular, a gene for dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) demethylase was found in the genome, rendering strain IMCC3135T one of the few marine gammaproteobacteria equipped with the potential for DMSP demethylation.

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July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequence of Tsukamurella sp. MH1: A wide-chain length alkane-degrading actinomycete.

Tsukamurella sp. strain MH1, capable to use a wide range of n-alkanes as the only carbon source, was isolated from petroleum-contaminated soil (Pite?ti, Romania) and its complete genome was sequenced. The 4,922,396?bp genome contains only one circular chromosome with a G?+?C content of 71.12%, much higher than the type strains of this genus (68.4%). Based on the 16S rRNA genes sequence similarity, strain MH1 was taxonomically identified as Tsukamurella carboxydivorans. Genome analyses revealed that strain MH1 is harboring only one gene encoding for the alkB-like hydroxylase, arranged in a complete alkane monooxygenase operon. This is the first complete genome of the specie T. carboxydivorans, which will provide insights into the potential of Tsukamurella sp. MH1 and related strains for bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons-contaminated sites and into the environmental role of these bacteria. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

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July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequence of the marine Rhodococcus sp. H-CA8f isolated from Comau fjord in Northern Patagonia, Chile

Rhodococcus sp. H-CA8f was isolated from marine sediments obtained from the Comau fjord, located in Northern Chilean Patagonia. Whole-genome sequencing was achieved using PacBio RS II platform, comprising one closed, complete chromosome of 6,19?Mbp with a 62.45% G?+?C content. The chromosome harbours several metabolic pathways providing a wide catabolic potential, where the upper biphenyl route is described. Also, Rhodococcus sp. H-CA8f bears one linear mega-plasmid of 301?Kbp and 62.34% of G?+?C content, where genomic analyses demonstrated that it is constituted mostly by putative ORFs with unknown functions, representing a novel genetic feature. These genetic characteristics provide relevant insights regarding Chilean marine actinobacterial strains.

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July 7, 2019

Synthetic biology, genome mining, and combinatorial biosynthesis of NRPS-derived antibiotics: a perspective.

Combinatorial biosynthesis of novel secondary metabolites derived from nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) has been in slow development for about a quarter of a century. Progress has been hampered by the complexity of the giant multimodular multienzymes. More recently, advances have been made on understanding the chemical and structural biology of these complex megaenzymes, and on learning the design rules for engineering functional hybrid enzymes. In this perspective, I address what has been learned about successful engineering of complex lipopeptides related to daptomycin, and discuss how synthetic biology and microbial genome mining can converge to broaden the scope and enhance the speed and robustness of combinatorial biosynthesis of NRPS-derived natural products for drug discovery.

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July 7, 2019

Sustaining global agriculture through rapid detection and deployment of genetic resistance to deadly crop diseases.

Contents Summary 45 I. Introduction 45 II. Targeted chromosome-based cloning via long-range assembly (TACCA) 46 III. Resistance gene cloning through mutational mapping (MutMap) 47 IV. Cloning through mutant chromosome sequencing (MutChromSeq) 47 V. Rapid cloning through resistance gene enrichment and sequencing (RenSeq) 49 VI. Cloning resistance genes through transcriptome profiling (RNAseq) 49 VII. Resistance gene deployment strategies 49 VIII. Conclusions 50 Acknowledgements 50 References 50 SUMMARY: Genetically encoded resistance is a major component of crop disease management. Historically, gene loci conferring resistance to pathogens have been identified through classical genetic methods. In recent years, accelerated gene cloning strategies have become available through advances in sequencing, gene capture and strategies for reducing genome complexity. Here, I describe these approaches with key emphasis on the isolation of resistance genes to the cereal crop diseases that are an ongoing threat to global food security. Rapid gene isolation enables their efficient deployment through marker-assisted selection and transgenic technology. Together with innovations in genome editing and progress in pathogen virulence studies, this creates further opportunities to engineer long-lasting resistance. These approaches will speed progress towards a future of farming using fewer pesticides.© 2017 Commonwealth of Australia. New Phytologist © 2017 New Phytologist Trust.

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July 7, 2019

ReadTools: A universal toolkit for handling sequence data from different sequencing platforms.

Sequencing whole genomes has become a standard research tool in many disciplines including Molecular Ecology, but the rapid technological advances in combination with several competing platforms have resulted in a confusing diversity of formats. This lack of standard formats causes several problems, such as undocumented preprocessing steps or the loss of information in downstream software tools, which do not account for the specifics of the different available formats. ReadTools is an open-source Java toolkit designed to standardize and preprocess read data from different platforms. It manages FASTQ- and SAM-formatted inputs while dealing with platform-specific peculiarities and provides a standard SAM compliant output. The code and executable are available at https://github.com/magicDGS/ReadTools.© 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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July 7, 2019

Host genetic variation strongly influences the microbiome structure and function in fungal fruiting-bodies.

Despite increasing knowledge on host-associated microbiomes, little is known about mechanisms underlying fungus-microbiome interactions. This study aimed to examine the relative importance of host genetic, geographic and environmental variations in structuring fungus-associated microbiomes. We analyzed the taxonomic composition and function of microbiomes inhabiting fungal fruiting-bodies in relation to host genetic variation, soil pH and geographic distance between samples. For this, we sequenced the metagenomes of 40 fruiting-bodies collected from six fairy rings (i.e., genets) of a saprotrophic fungus Marasmius oreades. Our analyses revealed that fine genetic variations between host fungi could strongly affect their associated microbiome, explaining, respectively, 25% and 37% of the variation in microbiome structure and function, whereas geographic distance and soil pH remained of secondary importance. These results, together with the smaller genome size of fungi compared to other eukaryotes, suggest that fruiting-bodies are suitable for further genome-centric studies on host-microbiome interactions.© 2018 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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July 7, 2019

Draft genome assembly of the sheep scab mite, Psoroptes ovis.

Sheep scab, caused by infestation with Psoroptes ovis, is highly contagious, results in intense pruritus, and represents a major welfare and economic concern. Here, we report the first draft genome assembly and gene prediction of P. ovis based on PacBio de novo sequencing. The ~63.2-Mb genome encodes 12,041 protein-coding genes. Copyright © 2018 Burgess et al.

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July 7, 2019

Complete genome sequence of multiple-antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus parauberis strain SPOF3K, isolated from diseased olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus).

Here, we report the complete genome sequence of multiple-antibiotic-resistant Streptococcus parauberis strain SPOF3K, isolated from the kidney of a diseased olive flounder in South Korea in 2013. Sequencing using a PacBio platform yielded a circular chromosome of 2,128,740?bp and a plasmid of 23,538?bp, harboring 2,123 and 24 protein-coding genes, respectively. Copyright © 2018 Lee et al.

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