A high quality chromosome-level genome assembly for the golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei)

Abstract

The golden mussel (Limnoperna fortunei) is a highly adaptive species that causes environmental and socioeconomic losses in invaded areas. Reference genomes have proven to be a valuable resource for studying the biology of invasive species. While the current golden mussel genome has been useful for identifying new genes, its high fragmentation hinders some applications. In this Data Note, we provide the first chromosome-level reference genome for the golden mussel. The genome was built using Hi-C, PacBio HiFi and 10X sequencing data. The final assembly contains 99.4% of its total length assembled to the 15 chromosomes of the species and a scaffold N50 of 97.05 Mb. Approximately 47% of the genome was annotated as repetitive sequences. A total of 34 862 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 84.7% were functionally annotated. This new high quality genome is expected to support both basic and applied research on this invasive species.

Toward invasive mussel genetic biocontrol: Approaches, challenges, and perspectives

“…Therefore, in the search for candidate target genes to disseminate sterility in the golden mussel, the focus has been on the Dmrt gene family, which also includes the doublesex gene successfully used as a target for gene drive in A. gambiae . 60 The recent assembly of a chromosome-level genome for the golden mussel 152 has allowed us to identify and characterize the Dmrt family in L. fortunei , including the main candidate target gene, Dmrt1l (unpublished results). However, it is still necessary to experimentally validate the knockout phenotype and haplosufficiency of this gene in L. fortunei .…”

“…Knowledge of the genome is essential for the design of new targeted genetic biocontrol techniques to eradicate invasive mussel species. 158 Recently, the D. polymorpha , 126 D. rostriformis bugensis , 159 and L. fortunei 152 genomes were reported. Some features of these genomes, such as their large size and a high proportion of repetitive DNA regions, large-scale structural variants, and high levels of heterozygosity reflect a very complex genomic architecture of bivalves.…”