Haplotype-resolved genomes of Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton tonsurans

Abstract

Abstract Dermatophytes have posed a significant health concern due to their ability to parasitize human and animal skin, hair, and nails, causing a spectrum of dermatological conditions. However, the absence of high-quality genomes hinders our understanding of the dermatophytes. In this study, we utilized the circular consensus sequencing (CCS) technology to generate haplotype-resolved, nearly-complete genomes for two representative dermatophytes, Trichophyton mentagrophytes and Trichophyton tonsurans. Total sizes of the genomes ranged from 23.8 Mb to 25.2 Mb, with the contig N50 lengths of 6.47 Mb and 12.65 Mb, respectively. Each genome assembly was gapless and possessed three pseudochromosomes, with two achieving telomere-to-telomere (T2T) level. BUSCO analysis of the assemblies revealed approximately 99% of genome completeness. More than 7500 protein-coding genes were identified, and over 99% of the genes were well annotated through multiple gene function databases. Approximately 10% of the genomes were covered by repeats, particularly retrotransposons. Our findings provided valuable genomic resources of dermatophytes, paving the way for developing more effective medical interventions and public health strategies against Trichophyton infections.