Biology subjects

Sim, S. B.

Publications and source records attributed to Sim, S. B..

4 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Chromosome-scale Genome Assembly of the West Indian Fruit Fly Anastrepha obliqua (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The West Indian fruit fly, Anastrepha obliqua, is a major pest of mango in Central and South America and attacks more than 60 species of host fruits. To support current genetic and genomic research on A. obliqua, we sequenced the genome using high-fidelity (HiFi) long-read sequencing. This resulted in a highly contiguous contig assembly with 90% of the genome in 10 contigs. The contig assembly was placed in a chromosomal context using synteny with a closely related species, A. ludens, as both are members of the A. fraterculus group. The resulting assembly represents the five autosomes and the X chromosome which represents 95.9% of the genome, and 199 unplaced contigs representing the remaining 4.1%. Orthology analysis across the structural annotation sets of high quality tephritid genomes demonstrates the gene annotations are robust, and identified genes unique to Anastrepha species that may help define their pestiferous nature that can be used as a starting point for comparative genomics. This genome assembly represents the first of this species and will serve as a foundation for future genetic and genomic research in support of its management as an agricultural pest.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2023

Whole Genomes Reveal Evolutionary Relationships and Mechanisms Underlying Gene-Tree Discordance in Neodiprion Sawflies

AO_SCPLOWBSTRACTC_SCPLOWRapidly evolving taxa are excellent models for understanding the mechanisms that give rise to biodiversity. However, developing an accurate historical framework for comparative analysis of such lineages remains a challenge due to ubiquitous incomplete lineage sorting and introgression. Here, we use a whole-genome alignment, multiple locus-sampling strategies, and locus-based and SNP-based species-tree methods to infer a species tree for eastern North American Neodiprion species, a clade of pine-feeding sawflies (Order: Hymenopteran; Family: Diprionidae). We recovered a well-supported species tree that--except for three uncertain relationships--is robust to different strategies for analyzing whole-genome data. Despite this consistency, underlying gene-tree discordance is high. To understand this discordance, we use multiple regression to model topological discordance as a function of several genomic features. We find that gene-tree discordance tends to be higher in regions of the genome that may be more prone to gene-tree estimation error, as indicated by a lower density of parsimony-informative sites, a higher density of genes, a higher average pairwise genetic distance, and gene trees with lower average bootstrap support. Also, contrary to the expectation that discordance via incomplete lineage sorting is reduced in low-recombination regions of the genome, we find a negative correlation between recombination rate and topological discordance. We offer potential explanations for this pattern and hypothesize that it may be unique to lineages that have diverged with gene flow. Our analysis also reveals an unexpected discordance hotspot on Chromosome 1, which contains several genes potentially involved in mitochondrial-nuclear interactions and produces a gene-tree that resembles a highly discordant mitochondrial tree. Based on these observations, we hypothesize that our genome-wide scan for topological discordance has identified a nuclear locus involved in a mito-nuclear incompatibility. Together, these results demonstrate how phylogenomic analysis coupled with high-quality, annotated genomes can generate novel hypotheses about the mechanisms that drive divergence and produce variable genealogical histories across genomes.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2022

Whole-genome resequencing data support a single introduction of the invasive white pine sawfly, Diprion similis

Biological introductions are unintended "natural experiments" that provide unique insights into evolutionary processes. Invasive phytophagous insects are of particular interest to evolutionary biologists studying adaptation, as introductions often require rapid adaptation to novel host plants. However, adaptive potential of invasive populations may be limited by reduced genetic diversity--a problem known as the "genetic paradox of invasions". One potential solution to this paradox is if there are multiple invasive waves that bolster genetic variation in invasive populations. Evaluating this hypothesis requires characterizing genetic variation and population structure in the introduced range. To this end, we assemble a reference genome and describe patterns of genetic variation in the introduced white pine sawfly, Diprion similis. This species was introduced to North America in 1914, where it has undergone a rapid host shift to the thin-needled eastern white pine (Pinus strobus), making it an ideal invasion system for studying adaptation to novel environments. To evaluate evidence of multiple introductions, we generated whole-genome resequencing data for 64 D. similis females sampled across the North American range. Both model-based and model-free clustering analyses supported a single population for North American D. similis. Within this population, we found evidence of isolation-by-distance and a pattern of declining heterozygosity with distance from the hypothesized introduction site. Together, these results support a single-introduction event. We consider implications of these findings for the genetic paradox of invasion and discuss priorities for future research in D. similis, a promising model system for invasion biology.

evolutionary biology↗

bioRxiv2022

A chromosome-scale genome assembly of a Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac insecticidal protein resistant strain of Helicoverpa zea

Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is an insect pest of major cultivated crops in North and South America. The species has adapted to different host plants and developed resistance to several insecticidal agents, including Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) insecticidal proteins in transgenic cotton and maize. H. zea populations persist year-round in tropical and subtropical regions, but seasonal migrations into temperate zones increase the geographic range of associated crop damage. To better understand the genetic basis of these physiological and ecological characteristics, we generated a high-quality chromosome-level assembly for a single H. zea male from Bt resistant strain, HzStark_Cry1AcR. Hi-C data were used to scaffold an initial 375.2 Mb contig assembly into 30 autosomes and the Z sex chromosome (scaffold N50 = 12.8 Mb and L50 = 14). The scaffolded assembly was error-corrected with a novel pipeline, polishCLR. The mitochondrial genome was assembled through an improved pipeline and annotated. Assessment of this genome assembly indicated 98.8% of the Lepidopteran Benchmark Universal Single-Copy Ortholog set were complete (98.5% as complete single-copy). Repetitive elements comprised approximately 29.5% of the assembly with the plurality (11.2%) classified as retroelements. This chromosome-scale reference assembly for H. zea, ilHelZeax1.1, will facilitate future research to evaluate and enhance sustainable crop production practices. SignificanceWe established a chromosome-level reference assembly for Helicoverpa zea, an insect pest of multiple cultivated crops in the Americas. This assembly of a Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal protein resistant strain, HzStark_Cry1AcR, will facilitate future research in areas such as population genomics and adaptations to agricultural control practices.

genomics↗