Long read assemblies of geographically dispersed Plasmodium falciparum isolates reveal highly structured subtelomeres.

ABSTRACT: Background: Although thousands of clinical isolates of Plasmodium falciparum are being sequenced and analysed by short read technology, the data do not resolve the highly variable subtelomeric regions of the genomes that contain polymorphic gene families involved in immune evasion and pathogenesis. There is also no current standard definition of the boundaries of these variable subtelomeric regions. Methods: Using long-read sequence data (Pacific Biosciences SMRT technology), we assembled and annotated the genomes of 15 P. falciparum isolates, ten of which are newly cultured clinical isolates. We performed comparative analysis of the entire genome with particular emphasis on the subtelomeric regions and the internal var genes clusters.   Results: T

SUBMITTER: Otto TD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5964635 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature