hide
Free keywords:
-
Abstract:
The maize W22 inbred has served as a platform for maize genetics since the mid twentieth century. To streamline maize
genome analyses, we have sequenced and de novo assembled a W22 reference genome using short-read sequencing technologies.
We show that significant structural heterogeneity exists in comparison to the B73 reference genome at multiple scales,
from transposon composition and copy number variation to single-nucleotide polymorphisms. The generation of this reference
genome enables accurate placement of thousands of Mutator (Mu) and Dissociation (Ds) transposable element insertions for
reverse and forward genetics studies. Annotation of the genome has been achieved using RNA-seq analysis, differential nuclease
sensitivity profiling and bisulfite sequencing to map open reading frames, open chromatin sites and DNA methylation profiles,
respectively. Collectively, the resources developed here integrate W22 as a community reference genome for functional
genomics and provide a foundation for the maize pan-genome.
