PacBio and Hi-C based Genome Assembly of Astatotilapia latifasciata, with B Chromosome

This project aims to generate a high-quality, chromosome-level genome assembly for Astatotilapia latifasciata, a species of cichlid fish known for possessing supernumerary B chromosomes. Utilizing a hybrid sequencing approach combining PacBio long reads and Hi-C proximity-ligation sequencing, we resolve both the regular A chromosomes and B chromosome.The long reads from PacBio facilitate for resloving repetitive regions and accurately assembling scaffolds, including those characteristic of B chromosomes. Complementing this, Hi-C data allow for scaffolding contigs into chromosome-level structures, thereby significantly improving the contiguity and accuracy of the genome assembly. A key focus of this project was the improved identification and assembly of the B chromosome. This project enables the characterization of their specific sequence content, gene presence, and repetitive element composition, providing crucial insights into their origin, evolution, and potential effects on host genome. This comprehensive genomic resource will be invaluable for future studies on cichlid biology, B chromosome dynamics, and evolutionary genomics.