Genome assembly and annotation of the Brown-Spotted Pit viper Protobothrops mucrosquamatus

Abstract

The Brown-Spotted Pit viper (Protobothrops mucrosquamatus), also known as the Chinese habu, is a widespread and highly venomous snake distributed from Northeastern India to Eastern China. Genomics research can contribute to our understanding of venom components and natural selection in vipers. Here, we collected, sequenced and assembled the genome of a male P. mucrosquamatus individual from China. We generated a highly continuous reference genome, with a length of 1.53 Gb and 41.18% of repeat elements content. Using this genome, we identified 24,799 genes, 97.97% of which could be annotated. We verified the validity of our genome assembly and annotation process by generating a phylogenetic tree based on the nuclear genome single-copy genes of six other reptile species. The results of our research will contribute to future studies on Protobothrops biology and the genetic basis of snake venom.