The telomere-to-telomere chromosome-scale genome assembly of Acremonium chrysogenum

Abstract

Abstract Acremonium chrysogenum is a notable filamentous fungus recognized for its essential contribution to the pharmaceutical sector through the biosynthesis of cephalosporin C (CPC). CPC functions as a key intermediate in the biosynthesis of β-lactam antibiotics, which are employed to combat bacterial infections. This study successfully generated a telomere-to-telomere (T2T) chromosome-scale genome sequence for A. chrysogenum, combining BGI short reads, PacBio HiFi long reads, and Hi-C technology. This genome sequence contained eight complete chromosomes (29.00 Mb) and a circular mitochondrial genome (27.27 kb), featuring an N50 length of 3.87 Mb. Repetitive elements accounted for 9.65% of genomic content, and a total of 7,745 genes involved in protein coding were annotated. This well-assembled reference genome of A. chrysogenum serves as an important foundation for elucidating the biosynthetic pathway of cephalosporin C and for molecular breeding. Furthermore, it offers valuable insights into chromosome organization, genome evolution, and regulatory mechanisms, facilitating future advancements in antibiotic research and fungal biotechnology.