Chromosome-level genome assembly of the functionally extinct northern white rhinoceros ( Ceratotherium simum cottoni )
Year: 2021
Type: preprint
Abstract: The northern white rhinoceros (NWR; Ceratotherium simum cottoni ) is functionally extinct, with only two females remaining alive. Efforts to rescue the NWR have inspired the exploration of unconventional conservation methods, including the generation of artificial gametes from induced pluripotent stem cells and somatic cell nuclear transfer. To enable the technologies required for these approaches, we used complementary sequencing and mapping methods to generate a NWR chromosome-level reference genome that meets or exceeds the metrics proposed by the Vertebrate Genome Project. It represents 40 autosomes, an X and a partially-resolved Y chromosome, and the mitochondrial genome. We compared the NWR reference genome to the southern white rhinoceros (SWR) population that has been physically separated from the NWR for tens of thousands of years. Using short-read data from the SWR and optical mapping, we found that the two populations are very similar on both the chromosome level and mitochondrial genome level. The results of this study are encouraging for the efforts underway to rescue the NWR.
Authors: Gaojianyong Wang, Björn Brändl, Christian Rohrandt, Karl Hong, Andy Pang, Joyce Lee, Harris A. Lewin, Giovanna Migliorelli, Mario Stanke, Remy Schwab, Sarah Ford, Iris Pollmann, Bernhard M. Schuldt, Marlys Houck, Oliver A. Ryder, Alexander Meissner, Jeanne F. Loring, Franz-Josef Müller, Marisa L. Korody
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4200515230