Chicago and Dovetail Hi-C proximity ligation yield chromosome length scaffolds of Ixodes scapularis genome

Abstract

A high-quality genome sequence is essential for understanding an organism on molecular level. However, the larger genomes with substantial repetitive sequences are challenging to assemble with the sequencing technologies. Hi-C technique is changing the genome architecture landscape by providing links across a variety of length scales, spanning even whole chromosomes. Ixodes scapularis haploid genome is 2.1 gbp and the current assembly consists of 369,495 scaffolds representing 57% of the genome. The fragmented genome poses challenges with functional gene analysis and an improved assembly is needed. We therefore used the Hi C technique to achieve chromosomal level assembly of tick genome. With Chicago and Dovetail Hi C assemblies, we were able to achieve 28 >10Mb sequences that correspond to 28 chromosomes in I. scapularis.