Comparative scaffolding and gap filling of ancient bacterial genomes applied to two ancient Yersinia pestis genomes.

ABSTRACT: Yersinia pestis is the causative agent of the bubonic plague, a disease responsible for several dramatic historical pandemics. Progress in ancient DNA (aDNA) sequencing rendered possible the sequencing of whole genomes of important human pathogens, including the ancient Y. pestis strains responsible for outbreaks of the bubonic plague in London in the 14th century and in Marseille in the 18th century, among others. However, aDNA sequencing data are still characterized by short reads and non-uniform coverage, so assembling ancient pathogen genomes remains challenging and often prevents a detailed study of genome rearrangements. It has recently been shown that comparative scaffolding approaches can improve the assembly of ancient Y. pestis genomes at a chromosome level.

SUBMITTER: Luhmann N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5643016 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature