A Manually Curated Gene Model Set for an Ascidian, Ciona robusta (Ciona intestinalis Type A)

Gene/transcript model sets predicted from decoded genome sequences are an important resource for a wide range of biological studies. Accuracy of gene models is therefore critical for deducing accurate conclusions. Computationally predicted models are sometimes inconsistent with experimental data from cDNA clones and RNA-sequencing. In an ascidian, Ciona robusta (Ciona intestinalis type A), a manually curated gene/transcript model set, which was constructed using an assembly in which 68% of decoded sequences were associated with chromosomes, had been used during the last decade. Recently a new genome assembly was published, in which over 95% of decoded sequences are associated with chromosomes. In the present study, we provide a high-quality version of the gene/transcript model set for the latest assembly. Because the Ciona genome has been used in a variety of studies such as developmental biological studies, evolutionary studies, and physiological studies, the current gene/transcript model set provides a fundamental biological resource.