Thielaviopsis punctulata strain:DSM 102798 | cultivar:Barhi Genome sequencing

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) is one of the most important plants grown for its edible fruit. Palm diseases are among the major factors affecting its growth and productivity. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the causal agent of black scorch on date palm was found to be Thielaviopsis punctulata. The pathogen was isolated from all tissues of diseased trees affected by the virulent T. punctulata. Depending on the severity of the infection, symptoms included tissue necrosis, wilting, neck bending, death of terminal buds, and eventual plant mortality. This is an improvement on the preexisting fragmented genome of T. punctulata, which poses challenges with functional gene analysis, and an improved assembly is needed. We, therefore, used the Hi C technique to achieve chromosomal-level assembly of the T. punctulata genome. With Chicago and Dovetail Hi C assemblies, we achieved 7 scaffolds >2Mb that correspond to 7 chromosomes in T. punctulata.