Tutorial: annotation of animal genomes.

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Bioinformatics

Background:

• Advancements in DNA sequencing facilitate the assembly of new genomes from non-model organisms.
• Genome annotation, the process of identifying genes and other features, is crucial for utilizing newly assembled genome sequences as references.
• Existing annotation pipelines vary in accuracy, resource needs, and usability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a streamlined genome annotation pipeline for producing high-quality animal genome annotations in a laboratory setting.
• To integrate state-of-the-art tools for annotating protein-coding and non-coding RNA genes.
• To guide users in assigning gene symbols, annotating repeat regions, and assessing annotation quality.

Main Methods:

• Integration of existing, state-of-the-art genome annotation tools.
• Inclusion of gene prediction from assembled DNA sequences.
• Incorporation of gene homology information and functional evidence (protein sequences, RNA sequencing data).

Main Results:

• A streamlined workflow for high-quality genome annotation of animal genomes.
• Guidance on gene symbol assignment and repeat region annotation.
• Description of tools for assessing and formatting annotation results.

Conclusions:

• The described pipeline offers a practical approach for laboratories to generate reliable genome annotations.
• This workflow enhances the utility of newly sequenced animal genomes for research.
• The tutorial aims to improve the accessibility and quality of genome annotation processes.