De novo assembly of the Aedes aegypti genome using Hi-C yields chromosome-length scaffolds

Abstract

Hi-C for mosquito genomes Most genomes sequenced today are determined through the generation of short sequenced bits of DNA that are computationally pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle. This has resulted in the need for funds and additional data to fill in gaps in order to fully assemble the many chromosomes that make up a eukaryotic genome. Dudchenko et al. used the Hi-C method, which measures the distance between contact points within and between chromosomes for scaffold validation, together with correction and ordering to more completely determine the arrangement of short sequencing reads for genome mapping. They validated their approach through the de novo generation of a complete human genome. A comparative analysis of mosquito genomes was made possible by improving the Culex quinquefasciatus genome assembly and generating the genome of Aedes aegypti , the vector of Zika virus. Science , this issue p. 92