A new chromosome-level genome assembly and annotation of Cryptosporidium meleagridis
Lasya R Penumarthi1,2, Rodrigo P Baptista1,2,3,4, Megan S Beaudry5,6
1Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
Abstract:
Cryptosporidium spp. are medically and scientifically relevant protozoan parasites that cause severe diarrheal illness in infants, immunosuppressed populations and many animals. Although most human Cryptosporidium infections are caused by C. parvum and C. hominis, there are several other human-infecting species including C. meleagridis, which are commonly observed in developing countries. Here, we annotated a hybrid long-read Oxford Nanopore Technologies and short-read Illumina genome assembly for C. meleagridis (CmTU1867) with DNA generated using multiple displacement amplification. The assembly was then compared to the previous C. meleagridis (CmUKMEL1) assembly and annotation and a recent telomere-to-telomere C. parvum genome assembly. The chromosome-level assembly is 9.2 Mb with a contig N50 of 1.1 Mb. Annotation revealed 3,919 protein-encoding genes. A BUSCO analysis indicates a completeness of 96.6%. The new annotation contains 166 additional protein-encoding genes and reveals high synteny to C. parvum IOWA II (CpBGF). The new C. meleagridis genome assembly is nearly gap-free and provides a valuable new resource for the Cryptosporidium community and future studies on evolution and host-specificity.
Insights
A new, high-quality genome assembly for Cryptosporidium meleagridis was created, offering a more complete picture of this parasite
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Cryptosporidium spp. are significant protozoan parasites causing diarrheal diseases.
- While C. parvum and C. hominis are common, C. meleagridis also infects humans, particularly in developing regions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To generate and annotate a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly for Cryptosporidium meleagridis.
- To provide an improved genomic resource for studying Cryptosporidium evolution and host specificity.
Main Methods:
- Hybrid genome assembly using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (long-read) and Illumina (short-read) sequencing.
- DNA preparation via multiple displacement amplification.
- Comparative analysis with existing C. meleagridis and C. parvum genome assemblies.
Main Results:
- A nearly gap-free, chromosome-level assembly of 9.2 Mb with a contig N50 of 1.1 Mb.
- Annotation identified 3,919 protein-encoding genes, with 166 additional genes compared to previous annotations.
- High completeness (96.6% BUSCO) and synteny with C. parvum.
Conclusions:
- The new C. meleagridis genome assembly is a significant advancement over previous versions.
- This resource will facilitate further research into Cryptosporidium biology, evolution, and host-parasite interactions.
