Physcomitrellopsis africana Genome sequencing and assembly. Physcomitrellopsis africana

The first draft genome of the rare South African endemic moss Physcomitrellopsis africana is presented. The 414 Mb assembly contains 22,925 genes, including two uniquely horizontally transferred genes, but lacks 97 of the microbial genes previously identified in the closely related model, Physcomitrium patens - highlighting the dynamic role of HGT in the evolution of these moss genomes and loss. This study presents best practices for contamination detection and new insights into HGT identification.