Single molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing of the Plassmodiophora genome.. Plasmodiophora brassicae genome

Single-celled eukaryotes or protists can be found in any habitat worldwide and fossil records are available for certain taxa where some are dating as early as the Precambrian period (Foissner and Hawksworth 2009). Rhizaria is a large protist group that comprise four major groups: Filosa, Phytorhiza, Ascetosporea + Apofilosa, and Retaria (Burki and Keeling 2014; Sierra et al. 2016). These organisms with diverse biology lifestyles and inhabitants of different ecological niches where of some are pathogens. Plasmodiophora brassicae, a plasmodiophorid in the Phytomyxea class (Phytorhiza) attacks roots of cruciferous plants and the infection leads to formation of large root galls or clubroots which is the name of the disease. This plant pathogen is an obligate biotroph (strict requirement of host tissue for growth and multiplication). Such lifestyle considerably hampers high quality DNA preparations suitable for genomic sequencing. We previously made a genome assembly of P. brassicae strain e3 based on a combination of Illumina and 454 sequencing approach (Schwelm et al. 2015). By huge efforts, DNA was here produced enabling single molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing technology to generate longer reads and increased genome assembly quality.