The genome sequence of the colonial chordate, Botryllus schlosseri
Ayelet Voskoboynik,
Norma F Neff,
Debashis Sahoo,
Aaron M Newman,
Dmitry Pushkarev,
Winston Koh,
Benedetto Passarelli,
H Christina Fan,
Gary L Mantalas,
Karla J Palmeri,
Katherine J Ishizuka,
Carmela Gissi,
Francesca Griggio,
Rachel Ben-Shlomo,
Daniel M Corey,
Lolita Penland,
Richard A White III,
Irving L Weissman,
Stephen R Quake
Affiliations
Ayelet Voskoboynik
Department of Pathology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, United States
Norma F Neff
Departments of Applied Physics and Bioengineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Debashis Sahoo
Department of Pathology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Aaron M Newman
Department of Pathology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Dmitry Pushkarev
Departments of Applied Physics and Bioengineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Winston Koh
Departments of Applied Physics and Bioengineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Benedetto Passarelli
Departments of Applied Physics and Bioengineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
H Christina Fan
Departments of Applied Physics and Bioengineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Gary L Mantalas
Departments of Applied Physics and Bioengineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Karla J Palmeri
Department of Pathology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, United States
Katherine J Ishizuka
Department of Pathology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, United States
Carmela Gissi
Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
Francesca Griggio
Dipartimento di Bioscienze, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milano, Italy
Rachel Ben-Shlomo
Department of Biology, University of Haifa-Oranim, Tivon, Israel
Daniel M Corey
Department of Pathology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Lolita Penland
Departments of Applied Physics and Bioengineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Richard A White III
Departments of Applied Physics and Bioengineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Irving L Weissman
Department of Pathology, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, United States; Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford University, Pacific Grove, United States; Ludwig Center for Cancer Stem Cell Research and Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, United States
Stephen R Quake
Departments of Applied Physics and Bioengineering, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Botryllus schlosseri is a colonial urochordate that follows the chordate plan of development following sexual reproduction, but invokes a stem cell-mediated budding program during subsequent rounds of asexual reproduction. As urochordates are considered to be the closest living invertebrate relatives of vertebrates, they are ideal subjects for whole genome sequence analyses. Using a novel method for high-throughput sequencing of eukaryotic genomes, we sequenced and assembled 580 Mbp of the B. schlosseri genome. The genome assembly is comprised of nearly 14,000 intron-containing predicted genes, and 13,500 intron-less predicted genes, 40% of which could be confidently parceled into 13 (of 16 haploid) chromosomes. A comparison of homologous genes between B. schlosseri and other diverse taxonomic groups revealed genomic events underlying the evolution of vertebrates and lymphoid-mediated immunity. The B. schlosseri genome is a community resource for studying alternative modes of reproduction, natural transplantation reactions, and stem cell-mediated regeneration.
