Lytechinus pictus isolate:DCL-2020 Genome sequencing and assembly. Lytechinus pictus isolate:DCL-2020

Recent advances in genome editing have renewed interest in developing transgenic sea urchin lines. The painted sea urchin Lytechinus pictus, with a relatively short generation time of six months, has emerged as a practical system to develop such stable genetic lines. The Lyons and Hamdoun labs have recently optimized culturing methods for L. pictus and successfully developed transgenerational cultures. To support the development of transgenic lines in this species we have sequenced, assembled, and annotated a draft genome of L.pictus (N50 220kb; 1307 contigs). Using an ATACseq developmental time series we have identified putative cis-regulatory elements that are differentially activated during embryogenesis. Together with a previously sequenced developmental transcriptome these datasets firmly establish L.pictus as a robust model for interspecies genomic comparisons, transgenic line creation, and developmental studies.