Genome assembly and transcriptome resource for river buffalo, Bubalus bubalis (2n = 50)

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Animal Science
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Water buffalo are vital for global agriculture and economies.
• A comprehensive reference genome is needed for water buffalo research and breeding.
• Previous genome assemblies for water buffalo were unavailable.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a de novo assembled, well-annotated reference genome sequence for the river water buffalo.
• To facilitate studies on water buffalo biology, genetic diversity, and genomic selection.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Illumina GA and Roche 454 short-read sequencing data.
• Employed the MaSuRCA assembler for genome assembly.
• Annotated the genome using transcriptome data from 30 tissues.

Main Results:

• Generated a 2.83 Gb draft genome assembly with 366,983 scaffolds (N50 1.41 Mb).
• Identified 21,711 predicted protein-coding genes.
• Achieved 98.6% completeness for mammalian BUSCO gene groups, indicating high genome quality.

Conclusions:

• The first draft reference genome sequence for river water buffalo has been successfully created and annotated.
• This genome resource is publicly available and will support future research and breeding advancements in water buffalo.
• The high completeness suggests a robust foundation for genomic studies in this important livestock species.