An annotated chromosome-scale reference genome for Eastern black-eared wheatear ( Oenanthe melanoleuca )
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: Pervasive convergent evolution and in part high incidences of hybridization distinguish wheatears (songbirds of the genus Oenanthe) as a versatile system to address questions at the forefront of research on the molecular bases of phenotypic and species diversification. To prepare the genomic resources for this venture, we here generated and annotated a chromosome-scale assembly of the Eastern black-eared wheatear (Oenanthe melanoleuca). This species is part of the Oenanthe hispanica complex that is characterized by convergent evolution of plumage coloration and high rates of hybridization. The long-read-based male nuclear genome assembly comprises 1.04 Gb in 32 autosomes, the Z chromosome, and the mitogenome. The assembly is highly contiguous (contig N50, 12.6 Mb; scaffold N50, 70 Mb), with 96% of the genome assembled at the chromosome level and 95.5% benchmarking universal single-copy orthologs (BUSCO) completeness. The nuclear genome was annotated with 18,143 protein-coding genes and 31,333 mRNAs (annotation BUSCO completeness, 98.0%), and about 10% of the genome consists of repetitive DNA. The annotated chromosome-scale reference genome of Eastern black-eared wheatear provides a crucial resource for research into the genomics of adaptation and speciation in an intriguing group of passerines.
Source: G3 Genes Genomes Genetics
Institutions: Uppsala University, Science for Life Laboratory, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, University of Bern, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Stockholm University, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, TYTO - Association for the Management and Conservation of Biodiversity in Agricultural Ecosystems, Natural History Museum of Bern, University of East Anglia
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Biology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,580
Funders: Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung, University of Bern, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas, Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg, Vetenskapsrådet, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung, Deutsches Zentrum für integrative Biodiversitätsforschung Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Uppsala Multidisciplinary Center for Advanced Computational Science
Awards: Evolutionary dynamics of germline-restricted chromosomes in songbirds, G2037445599, G3321450376, G3771560830, Tracking the trajectories of filarial parasitism with genomes of nematodes infecting birds and reindeer, G6030447916, G712881263, Neo-sex chromosome evolution: molecular mechanisms and evolutionary consequences of nascent sex chromosomes, G796431723
OpenAlex ID: W4366996264