A reference genome assembly of Pteropus pselaphon.

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Conservation Biology
• Zoology

Background:

• The Bonin flying fox (Pteropus pselaphon) is endemic to the Ogasawara Islands, Japan.
• This species is currently classified as Critically Endangered, highlighting an urgent need for conservation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate a high-quality genome assembly for the Bonin flying fox (Pteropus pselaphon).
• To provide a foundational resource for understanding the species' evolutionary genomics and informing conservation management.

Main Methods:

• Genome sequencing utilizing Nanopore long reads.
• Scaffolding of the genome assembly using Omni-C technology.
• Gene prediction and quality assessment using Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) and Helixer software.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive genome assembly of 2.16 Gb across 929 scaffolds was achieved.
• High BUSCO completeness scores indicate the assembly's quality (C:98.2% for genome, C:92.2% for gene prediction).
• 20,647 protein-coding sequences were identified through gene prediction.

Conclusions:

• The Pteropus pselaphon genome assembly is a significant advancement for its conservation.
• This genomic resource will facilitate research in evolutionary genomics and host-pathogen interactions within flying foxes.
• The study underscores the importance of genomic data for safeguarding endangered species.