Insights from Melipona bicolor hybrid genome assembly: a stingless bee genome with chromosome-level scaffold.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The highly eusocial stingless bees are crucial pollinators of native and agricultural ecosystems. Nevertheless, genomic studies within this bee tribe remain scarce. We present the genome assembly of the stingless bee Melipona bicolor. This bee is a remarkable exception to the typical single-queen colony structure, since in this species, multiple queens may coexist and share reproductive duties, resulting in genetically diverse colonies with weak kinship connections. As the only known genuinely polygynous bee, M. bicolor's genome provides a valuable resource for investigating sociality beyond kin selection.

Results

The genome was assembled employing a hybrid approach combining short and long reads, resulting in 241 contigs spanning 259 Mb (N50 of 6.2 Mb and 97.5% c

SUBMITTER: Araujo NS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10863234 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature