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Protective effects of seminal exosomes on cryopreserved sperm via inhibiting oxidative damage.

This study aimed to explore the protective effect of seminal plasma exosomes (SPEs) on human sperm structure and function during cryopreservation and its potential mechanism. The samples were divided into two groups: the control group was treated solely with sperm cryoprotectant before freezing, while the exosome group was supplemented with SPEs. After cryopreservation and thawing, sperm progressive motility, normal morphological rate, and survival rate were evaluated. Furthermore, PKH67 labeling experiments were performed, and oxidative stress markers as well as energy metabolism indicators in sperm were detected. Subsequent mechanism exploration was conducted via proteomic analysis and protein validation assays. This work reveals that adding SPEs at a concentration of 1 or 2 mg/ml effectively improves sperm progressive motility after cryopreservation. After supplementing with SPEs, sperm glucose levels are reduced and mitochondrial membrane potential is enhanced. Simultaneously, SPEs alleviate oxidative stress by decreasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and DNA fragment index (DFI) while increasing superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. Functional annotation of proteomics reveals that 14 of the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) are associated with sperm motility. Enriched metabolic pathways related to sperm motility and sperm protein validation experiments indicate that the expression of MAPK, p-MAPK, and p-JNK proteins in sperm is higher in the Exosome group than in the Control group. This study provides important theoretical support for the application of SPEs in mitigating cryopreservation damage to sperm by enhancing antioxidant capacity. The specific mechanism may be mediated by the MAPK/p-JNK pathway.

Male

Beyond the gene: isoform diversity as a key contributor to human brain disorders.

The human brain exhibits exceptional transcriptomic complexity, with alternative splicing, promoter usage, and polyadenylation generating extensive transcript-isoform diversity. Isoform dysregulation is increasingly implicated in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders (NPDs), yet the landscape, function, and genetic regulation of brain isoforms remain poorly understood due to limitations of short-read RNA sequencing. Advances in long-read sequencing (LR-seq) enable scalable full-length transcriptome profiling with single-cell and spatial resolution across developmental stages. Here, we review recent progress in isoform discovery, quantification, functional annotation, and genetic regulation, highlighting emerging links to human neurodevelopment and disease. LR-seq studies have uncovered tens of thousands of previously unannotated brain isoforms, with neuronal maturation characterized by increased exon inclusion and progressive 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) lengthening. Isoform-resolved genetic mapping outperforms gene-level analyses for NPD gene discovery and mechanistic interpretation. We argue that a shift from gene-centric to isoform-centric frameworks is essential to fully capture regulatory complexity in human neurogenetics. Together, these advances establish isoform diversity as a fundamental yet underappreciated axis of brain gene regulation and a key entry point for dissecting NPD biology.

Humans

Integrated proteomic network analysis reveals PTPRC as a central hub protein orchestrating co-expression modules and metabolic dysregulation in renal carcinoma: PTPRC protein molecular action.

The occurrence of renal carcinoma is closely related to a variety of molecular mechanisms and metabolic disorders. PTPRC (protein tyrosine phosphatase receptor C), as an important regulatory protein, was studied to reveal the role of PTPRC in renal carcinoma through comprehensive proteomic network analysis, especially its core position in the coordination of co-expression modules and metabolic disorders. This study was the first to download and process multiple publicly available renal cancer transcriptome data to conduct differential gene expression analysis across datasets. Functional enrichment and disease ontology analysis were performed on the transcriptome of renal cancer, and weighted gene co-expression network (WGCNA) was constructed. The results showed that comprehensive principal component analysis revealed significant differences in the transcriptome of renal cancer, and functional annotation revealed specific pathways associated with renal cancer. WGCNA analysis identified tumor-associated co-expression modules, while multi-omics analysis further identified core regulatory networks including PTPRC. As a central hub protein, PTPRC plays an important coordinating role in the co-expression module and metabolic dysregulation of renal carcinoma. This discovery provides a new perspective for understanding the molecular mechanism of kidney cancer.

Humans

Structural characterization and predicted biosynthetic pathway of the polysaccharide component of bioflocculant from starch-degrading Bacillus subtilis ZHX3.

Polysaccharides-based bioflocculant is a promising eco-friendly alternative to conventional flocculants, yet their application is limited by high production cost. Understanding the biosynthetic pathway is essential for targeted strain improvement. In this study, we characterized polysaccharides structure of bioflocculant MBF-ZHX3 from Bacillus subtilis ZHX3 and predicted its biosynthetic pathway via genomic analysis combined with quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Two purified polysaccharide fractions, PS1-1 (5982 Da) and PS2-1 (17,577 Da), were obtained. Both were mainly composed of glucose, with a backbone of →4)-α-D-Glcp-(1 → and α-D-Glcp-(1 → branches attached at O-6. Whole-genome sequencing revealed a circular chromosome of 4,122,369 bp and two plasmids. Functional annotation showed high carbohydrate metabolism activity, with 284 genes (9.52%) and 264 genes (11.28%) assigned to carbohydrate metabolism in the COG and KEGG database, respectively. A complete eps gene cluster consisting of 15 open reading frames was identified. qPCR showed that key genes involved in substrate uptake (ptsG, malP, mdxEFG-msmX) and nucleotide sugar synthesis (pgcA, gtaB) were significantly upregulated. The priming glycosyltransferase (GT) epsL and the primary GT epsF were upregulated, along with the flippase epsK, polymerase epsG, and chain-length regulators epsA and epsB. Based on these findings, we propose a putative biosynthetic pathway for the polysaccharide component of MBF-ZHX3, and identify epsL, epsF, and epsG as prioritized targets for future genetic engineering. This work provides an integrated structural-genomic-transcriptomic framework that can guide rational strain improvement to enhance bioflocculant production.

Polysaccharides structure

Characterization and application potential of two newly isolated phages targeting the prevalent multidrug resistant Salmonella serovars in China.

The escalating global threat of multidrug resistant (MDR) Salmonella, a foodborne pathogen with animal-derived foods serving as the primary transmission vehicle, underscores the urgent need for effective lytic phages for biocontrol. From 142 environmental and farm samples in Shandong Province, we isolated 103 phages active against MDR S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium, which were the most prevalent Salmonella serovars in China. Two Siphoviridae phages vB-SenS-S1 and vB-SenS-SEC2 were selected for further study. With optimal multiplicities of infection (MOIs) of 10-2 (vB-SenS-S1) and 10-5 (vB-SenS-SEC2), both phages exhibited a 20 min latent period, yielding burst sizes of 52 and 37 PFU/cell, respectively. They also demonstrated stability across a range of temperatures (50-60 °C), pH levels (5-11), and after 1 h of UV exposure. Genomic analysis identified vB-SenS-S1 (43,002 bp, 47.04% GC) and vB-SenS-SEC2 (42,948 bp, 47.65% GC) as novel double-stranded DNA phages. Functional annotation confirmed the presence of genes essential for structural assembly, host lysis, and DNA replication/metabolism, and also verified the absence of resistance, virulence, and lysogeny-associated genes. Both phages vB-SenS-S1 and vB-SenS-SEC2 exhibited synergy with colistin and tetracycline. The synergy with colistin was particularly potent, leading to complete bacterial eradication in vitro. The in vivo therapeutic efficacy was further validated in both Galleria mellonella larvae and murine models of MDR Salmonella infection. Combination therapy with vB-SenS-SEC2 and colistin not only dramatically increased survival but also achieved a significant reduction in bacterial burden across multiple visceral organs of infected mice. Moreover, vB-SenS-S1 (108 PFU/mL) completely inhibited MDR Salmonella on chicken meat at 4 °C and -20 °C when initial contamination was ≤103 CFU/mL. This study not only expands the diversity of Salmonella phages but also highlights their potential as biocontrol agents in both clinical veterinary use and food decontamination, thereby enhancing food quality and safety at both the meat production source and the terminal product.

Animals

Deep learning and statistical methods identify novel asthma risk variants in Europeans.

BACKGROUND: Asthma is a common heritable respiratory disorder with a complex genetic basis. Although large-scale genome-wide association studies have identified many risk loci, the full spectrum of its polygenic architecture remains to be defined. OBJECTIVE: We refined the genetic landscape of asthma in individuals of European ancestry and improve polygenic risk prediction through statistical and deep learning-based methods. METHODS: We conducted the largest genome-wide association study meta-analysis of asthma in individuals of European ancestry, combining data from the Global Biobank Meta-analysis Initiative (121,940 cases, 1,254,131 controls) and the Million Veteran Program (36,823 cases, 398,278 controls). To enhance discovery, we applied pleiotropy-informed multitrait analysis and conditional false discovery rate approaches, each incorporating eosinophil counts as a secondary trait. In parallel, we used a Transformer-based deep learning framework to further prioritize variants and improve polygenic risk prediction. RESULTS: The meta-analysis identified 69 independent genome-wide significant loci (P&#x2009;<&#x2009;5 &#xd7; 10-8) not previously reported in asthma. Multitrait analysis of genome-wide association studies, conditional false discovery rate, and deep learning approaches uncovered additional candidate loci. Functional annotation and expression quantitative trait locus mapping implicated novel genes in immune regulation, airway remodeling, and metabolic processes. Polygenic risk score models derived from deep learning-prioritized variants outperformed those based on conventional genome-wide association study and standard statistical approaches. CONCLUSIONS: Our study yields a comprehensive map of asthma-associated loci in European ancestry populations, improves genetic risk prediction, and informs future mechanistic studies.

Humans

The bioinformatics approach to identifying pathogenic variants for colorectal cancer (CRC).

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most prevalent cancer globally, accounting for 9.6% of newly diagnosed cases and 9.3% of cancer-related deaths. It develops from the uncontrolled proliferation of glandular cells in the colon and rectum and is categorized into three primary types: sporadic, hereditary, and colitis-associated. While genetic susceptibility is a key factor in CRC pathogenesis, identifying high-impact pathogenic variants remains a significant challenge. This study integrates bioinformatics and population genetics approaches to identify CRC-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with potential clinical significance. CRC-associated SNPs were extracted from the Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS) Catalog, functionally annotated via HaploReg, and validated via Ensembl. In addition, expression quantitative trait locus (eQTL) data from the GTEx database were used to assess the effects of these variants on gene expression across human tissues. Our analysis identified three high-priority SNPs (rs9379084, rs3184504, and rs11557154) associated with the RREB1, ATXN2, SH2B3, and DCAF12 genes, which exhibited marked allele frequency differences among populations. These findings suggest potential biomarkers for CRC risk assessment and highlight the importance of genetic screening across diverse populations.

Bioinformatics

Genomic and transcriptomic characterization of genes expressed at 20&#xa0;MPa by the marine actinobacterium Kocuria flava.

A marine hydrocarbonoclastic actinobacterium Kocuria flava IOS11 was isolated from 3500&#xa0;m deep-sea water of the Indian Ocean. The isolate efficiently degraded phenanthrene (250&#xa0;mg/L) achieving 82 and 98% of degradation at 0.1&#xa0;MPa and 20&#xa0;MPa, respectively within a period of 5&#xa0;days. Whole genome, transcriptomee and metabolomic analysis elucidated its phenanthrene biodegradation efficiency under in situ deep-sea conditions. The genome sequence comprises 3.47&#xa0;Mb distributed across 88 scaffolds with a high GC content of 74.30%. The genome analysis encoded 3126 genes including 3052 protein coding sequences with functional annotation identifying a broad array of genes associated with PAHs degradation, environmental stress adaptation, biosurfactant and siderophore synthesis. Transcriptome profiling under 0.1 and 20&#xa0;MPa conditions with phenanthrene as a sole carbon source revealed enhanced expression of hydrocarbon degrading genes, transporters, biosurfactant associated enzymes and stress responsive genes including integrases, DNA repair protein Rad, alanine ligase, heat and cold shock proteins under high pressure conditions underscoring the deep-sea adaptation capabilities of the strain. The degradation pathway of phenanthrene was proposed through integrated genome, transcriptome and metabolomic analysis. These studies provided K. flava IOS11 as a metabolically versatile and pressure adapted bacterium with promising potential for bioremediation application in extreme marine environment.

Transcriptome

Systematic Proteome Profiling of Maternal Plasma for Development of Preeclampsia Biomarkers.

Preeclampsia (PE) is a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy with various clinical symptoms. However, traditional markers for the disease including high blood pressure and proteinuria are poor indicators of the related adverse outcomes. Here, we performed systematic proteome profiling of plasma samples obtained from pregnant women with PE to identify clinically effective diagnostic biomarkers. Proteome profiling was performed using TMT-based liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) followed by subsequent verification by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) analysis on normal and PE maternal plasma samples. Functional annotations of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in PE were predicted using bioinformatic tools. The diagnostic accuracies of the biomarkers for PE were estimated according to the area under the receiver-operating characteristics curve (AUC). A total of 1307 proteins were identified, and 870 proteins of them were quantified from plasma samples. Significant differences were evident in 138 DEPs, including 71 upregulated DEPs and 67 downregulated DEPs in the PE group, compared with those in the control group. Upregulated proteins were significantly associated with biological processes including platelet degranulation, proteolysis, lipoprotein metabolism, and cholesterol efflux. Biological processes including blood coagulation and acute-phase response were enriched for down-regulated proteins. Of these, 40 proteins were subsequently validated in an independent cohort of 26 PE patients and 29 healthy controls. APOM, LCN2, and QSOX1 showed high diagnostic accuracies for PE detection (AUC >0.9 and p&#xa0;<&#xa0;0.001, for all) as validated by MRM and ELISA. Our data demonstrate that three plasma biomarkers, identified by systematic proteomic profiling, present a possibility for the assessment of PE, independent of the clinical characteristics of pregnant women.

Humans

Genome-Wide Association Analyses of Bitter Food Preferences Link Genetic Loci to Sensory and Metabolic Pathways.

BACKGROUND: Genetic variation is implicated in individual preferences for bitter-tasting foods. However, previous studies have focused on candidate genes and limited varieties of bitter-tasting foods and have treated food preference scale responses as continuous data. OBJECTIVES: The present investigation aimed to identify genetic variants associated with preferences for bitter-tasting foods using ordinal multinomial regression models in genome-wide association studies (GWAS). In addition, post-GWAS functional annotation and mapping, genetic correlations, and associations with dietary intake were examined. METHODS: Food preference and genome-wide genotyping data were used from the UK Biobank (n = 125,578). Preference data from Likert scale rankings (from 1 to 9) for 12 individual foods were analyzed using ordinal multinomial regression GWAS. In addition, 1 composite continuous variable was created for preference for cruciferous vegetables as a group and analyzed using a linear mixed-model GWAS to enable the calculation of a polygenic score (PGS) for cruciferous vegetable preference. Convergent validity of GWAS results was assessed with dietary intake data for the same food items in the CARTaGENE cohort (n = 8176). Post-GWAS gene-level and pathway-level association analyses were conducted in MAGMA (Multimarker Analysis of GenoMic Annotation). RESULTS: Forty-six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified for preferences for 11 bitter-tasting foods at a genome-wide significance level (P < 7.14 &#xd7; 10-9). Gene-set analysis for enrichment identified pathways related to caffeine metabolism and bitter taste perception for preference of coffee without sugar and grapefruit, respectively. Genes with higher expression in brain tissues showed stronger genetic associations with cruciferous vegetable preference. The PGS for cruciferous vegetable preference was weakly correlated with intake (r = 0.05, P < 0.0001), but individual SNPs were not associated with intake in a consistent manner. CONCLUSIONS: Genetic variation contributes to preferences for bitter-tasting foods among adults, and some links with food intake are detectable. Nevertheless, effect sizes are small and inconsistent, reflecting the multifactorial complexity of food intake.

bitter taste

A conserved distal-tail helical extension defines a tailspike attachment architecture in Gram-negative siphophages.

Rapid growth of bacteriophage genome collections has outpaced functional annotation of tail-tip proteins, limiting comparative analysis of host-recognition structures. Starting from a shared distal-tail gene organization in the Salmonella phages 9NA and Jersey, I developed a morphogenetic bioinformatic framework integrating gene synteny, sequence comparison, profile hidden Markov model (HMM) screening, structural evidence, structure-aware searching, and AlphaFold modeling. Comparison with the experimentally characterized lambda and Sf11 tail assemblies identified a predominantly alpha-helical C-terminal extension of the distal-tail (DT) protein associated with tailspike attachment, termed the distal-tail helical extension (DT-helix). Screening 541,986 proteins from 5167 complete NCBI RefSeq tailed-phage genomes, followed by evidence-based evaluation of sequence, genomic context, and structural architecture, identified 165 curated DT-helical-extension-associated phages. Their DT proteins segregated into six sequence groups. In the four principal multi-member groups, cognate tailspikes showed group-specific conservation in proximal N-terminal regions but substantially greater downstream diversity, consistent with sequence constraint at the DT-tailspike attachment boundary. A complementary ProstT5/Foldseek search supported the established groups but revealed no convincing additional highly divergent family. Together with the experimentally characterized Sf11 attachment interface, these findings define a recurrent morphogenetic architecture linking conserved distal-tail scaffolds to more variable receptor-binding proteins across siphophages infecting Gram-negative bacteria. Although universal exchangeability is not established, the identified scaffold-receptor-binding boundaries provide a framework for molecular characterization and rational phage engineering. Accession-level information for the 165 curated phages is available through PhageTailDB.

Viral Tail Proteins

Transposable element-driven expansion of enhancer RNA repertoires underlies regulatory innovation and polyploid adaptation in cereal crops.

Cereal genomes have undergone repeated polyploidization and transposable element (TE) proliferation, collectively generating complex regulatory landscapes. However, the evolutionary trajectories and functional implications of these landscapes remain largely unexplored. Using chromatin-bound RNA sequencing across seven cereal species, we systematically mapped 45,952 regulatory element transcripts (RETs), including 32,867 distal RETs corresponding to enhancer RNAs (eRNAs). Our analysis revealed that 56% of lineage-specific eRNAs originated from TE expansions, indicating that TEs serve as major reservoirs of species-specific regulatory innovation in cereals. Notably, we identified remarkable conservation in defense-related functions, root-specific expression, and TE-derived origins of eRNAs across both ancient and recent evolutionary layers of Triticeae, suggesting recurrent recruitment of TE-derived, root-associated regulatory elements throughout Triticeae evolution. Furthermore, we found that young eRNA pairs in hexaploid wheat with high sequence similarity, many originating from RLG_famc8.3 and DTC_famc4.3, exhibited pronounced root specificity and coordinated expression, suggesting targeted amplification and refinement of successful ancestral regulatory strategies established after Triticeae divergence. To facilitate community access, we developed Cereal-eRNAdb (http://bioinfo.cemps.ac.cn/Cereal-eRNAdb/), a comprehensive database integrating 69,426 eRNAs with functional annotations across 296 samples. Our findings suggest that TE-mediated innovation of root-specific eRNAs may contribute to Triticeae adaptation and provide a foundational resource for exploiting regulatory variation in cereal crop breeding.

Enhancer RNAs

Serum Proteomic Profiling Reveals Renin-Associated Immune and Cytoskeletal Dysregulation in Post-COVID-19 Condition Patients with Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency.

Post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) with secondary adrenal insufficiency (SAI) involves multiorgan dysfunction, potentially linked to renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system dysregulation. The molecular basis of renin-associated pathology remains unclear. Here, PCC+SAI patients were stratified by upright renin into low- (<38.8&#x202f;pg/mL) and high-renin (&#x2265;38.8&#x202f;pg/mL) groups. Clinical, endocrine, and proteomic analyses were performed. We found that high-renin patients showed increased BMI, lipids, renin, and aldosterone, but reduced aldosterone-to-renin ratio. Proteomic annalysis identified 20 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs), including 17 upregulated and 3 downregulated proteins in Ren-H patients. Functional annotation revealed that 15 DEPs were immune-related (e.g., APOC4, APOE, C4BPA, CFAH, CFHR3, PF4V, PLF4), while FLNA and COF1 represented cytoskeletal proteins. These DEPs were primarily involved in immune response, complement and coagulation cascades, and MAPK signaling pathways. Correlation analyses indicated that upright renin was positively correlated with complement-related proteins and platelet-derived immune factors, while cytoskeletal proteins (FLNA, COF1) showed positive associations with serum Na+ levels. Additionally, white blood cell and platelet counts were positively correlated with the majority of DEPs. In conclusion, exploratory proteomic analyses suggest that elevated upright renin in PCC+SAI may be associated with immune dysregulation, complement activation, and cytoskeletal remodeling, offering novel insights into the endocrine-immune interactions driving postviral sequelae.

Humans

Proinsulin regulators identified with CRISPR screen and in vivo mouse QTL mapping.

Altered proinsulin levels in &#x3b2;-cells and bloodstream are hallmarks of diabetes and other diseases, but our knowledge about the proinsulin regulators remains limited. Here we perform a genome-wide CRISPR screen to identify 84 proinsulin regulators that alter intracellular proinsulin/insulin ratio in a mouse &#x3b2;-cell line. The proinsulin regulators are distinct from the insulin regulators from a previous orthogonal CRISPR screen. Functional annotation of the proinsulin regulators highlights Golgi as the primary organelle for proinsulin storage and regulation. Trafficking towards the Golgi increases the intra-cellular proinsulin/insulin ratio, while trafficking away from the Golgi, including exocytosis and Golgi-to-ER retrograde transport, decreases the intracellular proinsulin levels. We also map mouse quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with plasma proinsulin levels and use the CRISPR screen results to pinpoint the causal genes within the QTL loci. Interestingly, protein disulfide isomerase Pdia6 is the strongest hit from both CRISPR screen and the in vivo QTL mapping. Knocking down Pdia6 significantly reduce proinsulin accumulation in Golgi and secretory granules. Intriguingly, Pdia6-depletion in both human and mouse &#x3b2;-cells does not affect the folding status of proinsulin but causes significantly impaired proinsulin production through a UPR-independent mechanism. Taken together, our genetic profiles provide mechanistic insights into the regulation of proinsulin/insulin homeostasis.

Animals

Cell-type signatures of Alzheimer's disease shared across population groups.

Genomic studies at single-cell resolution have identified several cell types associated with clinical and pathological traits in Alzheimer's disease1-9, but have not examined associations that are shared across populations. To bridge this gap, here we use single-nucleus RNA sequencing and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin with sequencing to profile cortical and subcortical regions in post-mortem brain-tissue samples from Latin, white (excluding Latin) and African American (excluding Latin) individuals. Using discrete and continuous dissections of molecular programs, we identify cell-type-specific clusters associated with Alzheimer's disease in a region-specific manner across all three population groups, including microglial (GPNMB+ and CD74+ subgroups), astrocytic (SERPINH1+, CD44+ and WIF1+ subgroups) and neuronal (SST+ GABAergic and superficial-layer glutamatergic) signatures. We also report continuous gene-expression factors in astrocytes and oligodendrocytes that are not captured by discrete cluster assignments, but which show strong associations with disease phenotypes; these factors are enriched for genes associated with annotated functions such as lipid processing and neurotransmitter reuptake. Finally, we find that molecular programs reveal six distinct&#xa0;subgroups of&#xa0;individuals with cognitive impairment that span all three populations, are not captured by neuropathology, and are instead distinguished by molecular&#xa0;signatures that are not universally present but are nonetheless associated with ante-mortem impairment. Overall, our study identifies key cell types and gene programs implicated in Alzheimer's disease that are shared across population groups, and underscores how representative sampling can capture both shared signatures and disease heterogeneity, thereby enabling better prioritization of key cell types for further investigation.

Female

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Triplophysa scleroptera.

Triplophysa scleroptera is an endemic fish species in Qinghai Lake and the upper reaches of the Yellow River. However, studies on conservation and evolutionary genetics were seriously impeded by the absence of a reference genome. Here, by using PacBio HiFi sequencing and Hi-C assembly technology, we assembled a chromosome-level genome of T. scleroptera, with a total length of 660.22&#x2009;Mb and 99.82% of the sequence anchored to 25 chromosomes. The contig N50 and scaffold N50 were 9.09&#x2009;Mb and 24.38&#x2009;Mb, respectively. The evaluation using BUSCO indicated the genome assembly to be 96.40% complete. About 33.41% of the genome consists of repeat elements. We predicted 26,168 protein-coding genes in the genome, and 99.02% of them were functionally annotated. This high-quality reference genome would serve as a valuable genomic resource for advancing evolutionary conservation genetics studies in this species.

Animals

Chromosome-level genome assembly with telomeric repeats at scaffold ends for Rhabdosargus sarba.

Rhabdosargus sarba, the goldlined seabream, is a euryhaline marine fish of great aquaculture potential. Genome sequencing and assembly of R. sarba was carried utilizing a multi-platform sequencing strategy that included long-read sequencing (PacBio HiFi), short-read sequencing (Illumina), and chromatin interaction mapping (Hi-C). The final genome assembly size after scaffolding was 764.59&#x2009;Mb in 31 scaffolds with an N50 length of 33.98&#x2009;Mb. Repeat profiling of primary assembly showed that 28.71% of the genome comprises of repeat elements. Gene prediction utilising the evidence from ab initio prediction and transcriptome data revealed 26,913 protein encoding genes and functional annotation and pathway analysis showed their participation in 332 pathways. This genome is an excellent resource for future research on genetic improvement and molecular breeding programmes for R. sarba.

Animals

Chromosome-level genome assembly of Ceroplastes pseudoceriferus Green, 1935 (Hemiptera: Coccidae).

Soft scales (Hemiptera: Coccidae) are significant polyphagous pests and majority of which are invasive species. The 364.14&#x2009;Mb chromosome-level genome of Ceroplastes pseudoceriferus was assembled in this work, with a contig N50 length of 6.16&#x2009;Mb and scafold N50 length of 21.24&#x2009;Mb. Approximately 99.89% of assembled sequences were anchored into 18 chromosomes with the assistance of Hi-C reads. Furthermore, approximately 53.98% of the genome was composed of repetitive elements. In total, 10,475 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 9503 (90.72%) genes were functionally annotated. The BUSCO analysis demonstrated the completeness of the genome annotation is 92.54%. This genome represents first high-quality chromosome level assembly of Coccidae, thereby advancing our knowledge of Coccidae insects and developing effective management strategies that protect crops, forests, and natural ecosystems.

Animals