Huang Z, Xu L, Cai C, Zhou Y, Liu J, Xu Z, Zhu Z, Kang W, Cen W, Pei S, Chen D, Shi C, Wu X, Huang Y, Xu C, Yan Y, Yang Y, Xue T, He W, Hu X, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Bi C, He C, Xue L, Xiao S, Yue Z, Jiang Y, Yu JK, Jarvis ED, Li G, Lin G, Zhang Q, Zhou Q.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Mar 7;120(10):e2201504120. doi:10.1073/pnas.2201504120

Three amphioxus reference genomes reveal gene and chromosome evolution of chordates.

Chromosomal assembly of Branchiostoma floridae (Bf), Branchiostoma belcheri (Bb) and Branchiostoma japonicum (Bj). ”we devised an interspecific trio sequencing strategy [...] for the F1 hybrids derived from Bf-Bb or Bf-Bj crosses. [...] the hybrids contain two haploid parental genomes that have become too diverged in sequences to form cross-species chimeric assembly” “The three amphioxus genomes show a highly conserved chromosomal synteny to each other, with most chromosomes showing a one-to-one homologous relationship except for a few chromosome fusions.” ”genome-wide heterozygosity [estimated to] range from 3.2 to 4.2%” ”Based on 3,653 single-copy orthologous genes, we estimated that different chordate lineages diverged about 592.5 Mya, and three amphioxus species diverged about 99.9 Mya”. “Using whole-genome resequencing data of between 10 and 48 individuals per sex per species, we identified the sexually differentiated regions (SDR) that harbor [...] excessive female heterozygotes, and are not shared between the three amphioxus species. In particular, the SDR of Bf is located on Chr16 and harbors 194 genes; and those of Bj and Bb are located at two different genomic loci of Chr3, harboring 35 genes and one gene with unknown function respectively. Bf Chr16 is not homologous with Chr3 of Bj or Bb.”

Mean and confidence interval for divergence times given in Table S2:

  • B. belcheri and B. japonicum: 59.3 [12.2, 132.0].
  • all Branchiostoma: 99.9 [22.1, 211.7].
  • all chordates: 592.5 [530.8, 640.3]. Prior: [514, 636.1].
  • Euarchontoglires: 116.1 [72.1, 163.1]. Prior: [65.6, 164.6].