A Reference Genome Assembly of American Bison, Bison bison bison

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Conservation Biology
• Zoology

Background:

• Bison are ecologically, commercially, and culturally significant American icons.
• Conservation concerns include genetic diversity loss from historical bottlenecks and cattle introgression.
• Genome-wide analysis requires a high-quality reference genome.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate a high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assembly for the American plains bison (Bison bison bison).
• To provide a new genomic resource for understanding bison evolutionary history and managing populations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized trio binning of long-read sequencing data from a bison-Simmental cattle male F1 hybrid.
• Assembled a chromosome-scale genome for the American plains bison.

Main Results:

• The resulting bison genome assembly (ARS-UCSC_bison1.0) is 2.65 Gb in length with 775 scaffolds and an 87.8 Mb scaffold N50.
• This assembly is significantly more contiguous than the existing bison reference genome (~13x overall, ~3400x at contig level).

Conclusions:

• The new bison genome sequence provides a vastly improved resource for scientific research.
• This genome will facilitate studies on bison evolutionary history and enhance conservation and management strategies for bison populations.