Lledo, J. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2023

Chromosome-level genome assembly of the European Green woodpecker Picus viridis

The European Green Woodpecker, Picus viridis, is a widely distributed species found in the Western Palearctic region. Here we assembled a highly contiguous genome assembly for this species using a combination of short and long reads sequencing and scaffolded with chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C). The final genome assembly was 1.28 Gb and features a scaffold N50 of 37Mb and a scaffold L50 of 39.165 Mb. The assembly incorporates 89.4% of the genes identified in birds in OrthoDB. Gene and repetitive content annotation on the assembly detected 15,805 genes and a [~]30.1% occurrence of repetitive elements, respectively. Analysis of synteny demonstrates the fragmented nature of the Picus viridis genome when compared to the chicken (Gallus gallus). The assembly and annotations produced in this study will certainly help for further research into the genomics of P. viridis and the comparative evolution of woodpeckers.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2022

Genome assembly of three Amazonian Morpho butterflyspecies reveals Z-chromosome rearrangements betweenclosely-related species living in sympatry

The genomic processes enabling speciation and the coexistence of species in sympatry are still largely unknown. Here we describe the whole genome sequencing and assembly of three closely-related species from the butterfly genus Morpho: Morpho achilles (Linnaeus, 1758), M. helenor (Cramer, 1776) and M. deidamia (Hubner, 1819). These large blue butterflies are emblematic species of the Amazonian rainforest. They live in sympatry in a wide range of their geographical distribution and display parallel diversification of dorsal wing colour pattern, suggesting local mimicry. By sequencing, assembling and annotating their genomes, we aim at uncovering pre-zygotic barriers preventing gene flow between these sympatric species. We found a genome size of 480 Mb for the three species and a chromosomal number ranging from 2n = 54 for M. deidamia to 2n = 56 for M. achilles and M. helenor. We also detected inversions on the sex chromosome Z that were differentially fixed between species, suggesting that chromosomal rearrangements may contribute to their reproductive isolation. The annotation of their genomes allowed us to recover in each species at least 12,000 protein-coding genes and to discover duplications of genes potentially involved in pre-zygotic isolation like genes controlling colour discrimination (L-opsin). Altogether, the assembly and the annotation of these three new reference genomes open new research avenues into the genomic architecture of speciation and reinforcement in sympatry, establishing Morpho butterflies as a new eco-evolutionary model.

genomics↗