A reference genome for the long-term kleptoplast-retaining sea slug Elysia crispata morphotype clarki.

ABSTRACT: Several species of sacoglossan sea slugs possess the incredible ability to sequester chloroplasts from the algae they consume. These "photosynthetic animals" incorporate stolen chloroplasts, called kleptoplasts, into the epithelial cells of tubules that extend from their digestive tracts throughout their bodies. The mechanism by which these slugs maintain functioning kleptoplasts in the absence of an algal nuclear genome is unknown. Here, we report a draft genome of the sacoglossan slug Elysia crispata morphotype clarki, a morphotype native to the Florida Keys that can retain photosynthetically active kleptoplasts for several months without feeding. We used a combination of Oxford Nanopore Technologies long reads and Illumina short reads to produce a 786-Mb assembly (N50 = 0.459 Mb) contai

SUBMITTER: Eastman KE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10700116 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature