Biology subjects

Wehrenberg, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Wehrenberg, G..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Near-chromosome-level genome assembly and transcriptome of the Ural owl, Strix uralensis PALLAS, 1771

The Ural owl (Strix uralensis) is a large member of the Strigidae family and inhabits Eurasian forests ranging from Germany to Japan. However, it faces increased range reduction, particularly at its southwestern distribution edges. Despite being considered "Least Concern" by the IUCN, local populations have become threatened in Central Europe due to severe habitat loss. Reintroduction programs aim to restore these populations by closing distribution gaps and facilitating natural recolonization of suitable habitats. To support these efforts, genomic resources have become an established tool to assess genetic diversity, geographic structure, and potential inbreeding, crucial for maintaining the genetic health and adaptability of newly established populations. Here, we present a de novo genome assembly and transcriptome of the Ural owl based on ONT long-reads, Omni-C Illumina short-reads, and RNASeq data. The final assembly has a total length of 1.26 Gb, of which 96.37 % are anchored into the 41 largest scaffolds. The contig and scaffold N50 values of 88.6 Mb and 21.7 Mb, respectively, a BUSCO/compleasm completeness of 97.5 %/99.65 % and k-mer completeness of 95.18 %, emphasize the high quality of this assembly. Furthermore, annotation of the assembly identified 17,650 genes and a repeat content of 12.48 %. This new highly contiguous and chromosome-scale assembly will greatly benefit Ural owl conservation management by informing reintroduction programs about the species genetic health and contributing a valuable resource to study genetic function in greater detail across the whole Strigidae family.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2025

A Prelude to Conservation Genomics: First Chromosome-Level Genome Assembly of a Flying Squirrel (Pteromyini: Pteromys volans)

The Siberian flying squirrel (Pteromys volans) represents the only European Pteromyini species. Thus, it is biogeographically unique due to its specialised anatomy and biology as a volant rodent. As a result of habitat fragmentation and destruction, Siberian flying squirrels experience severe and ongoing population declines throughout most of their distribution. While considered Least Concern throughout their immense Eurasian distribution, this species is red-listed as Vulnerable and even Critically Endangered in parts of its range. More knowledge about the population structure and overall biology is needed to improve conservation efforts for this umbrella and flagship species of old-growth boreal forests. Here, we present the first chromosome-level genome assembly of any Pteromyini, represented by P. volans (Uoulu_pteVol_1.0). The final assembly has a total length of 2.85 Gbp in 19 chromosome-scale scaffolds with only minor differences in the chromosomal structure compared to other Sciuridae. All chromosome-scale scaffolds show indications for telomeres at both ends; the N50 value and busco as well as k-mer completeness scores are high with 157.39 Mbp and 97 - 99 %, respectively, indicating chromosome-level quality of the assembly. Based on whole-genome data from 17 rodent species, P. volans clusters according to known evolutionary relationships. Additionally, we present a new 16,511 bp long mitogenome unveiling differences from known conspecific mitogenomes. We propose the utility of the new reference genome for further research and development of conservation-applied genetic methods.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2023

A reduced SNP panel optimised for non-invasive genetic assessment of a genetically impoverished conservation icon, the European bison

The European bison was saved from the brink of extinction due to considerable conservation efforts since the early 20th century. The current global population of > 9,500 individuals is the result of successful ex situ breeding based on a stock of only 12 founders, resulting in an extremely low level of genetic variability. Due to the low allelic diversity, traditional molecular tools, such as microsatellites, fail to provide sufficient resolution for accurate genetic assessments in European bison, let alone from non-invasive samples. Here, we present a SNP panel for accurate high-resolution genotyping of European bison, which is suitable for a wide variety of sample types. The panel accommodates 96 markers allowing for individual and parental assignment, sex determination, breeding line discrimination, and cross-species detection. Two applications were shown to be utilisable in further Bos species with potential conservation significance. The new SNP panel will allow to tackle crucial tasks in European bison conservation, including the genetic monitoring of reintroduced populations, and a molecular assessment of pedigree data documented in the worlds first studbook of a threatened species.

genetics↗