An annotated near-complete sequence assembly of the Magnaporthe oryzae 70-15 reference genome

Area of Science:

• Plant Pathology
• Mycology
• Genomics

Background:

• Magnaporthe oryzae causes significant global yield losses in rice and cereals.
• Existing genome assemblies have limitations, including gaps and unresolved repetitive regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate a high-quality, complete genome assembly for the Magnaporthe oryzae strain 70-15.
• To provide an improved reference genome for studying this important plant pathogen.

Main Methods:

• Deep-coverage PacBio high-fidelity sequencing (HiFi).
• High-resolution chromatin conformation capture (Hi-C) data.
• Telomere-to-telomere (T2T) assembly strategies.

Main Results:

• A complete 44.82 Mb nuclear genome and a 35.95 kb circular mitochondrial genome were assembled.
• Telomere sequences were resolved for all seven chromosomes, with T2T assemblies achieved for five chromosomes.
• 12,100 protein-coding genes and 493 effectors were predicted based on the T2T assembly.

Conclusions:

• The high-quality T2T assembly represents a major advancement in M. oryzae genomics.
• This enhanced reference genome will benefit research in genome biology, comparative genomics, and population genetics.
• Improved genomic resources are crucial for addressing challenges posed by M. oryzae.