Aspergillus flavus Genome Sequencing Project
Project Overview
Gary A. Payne and Ralph A. Dean at North Carolina
State University received funding from the Microbial Genome Sequencing
Project, USDA National Research Initiative to completely sequence
the genome of A. flavus strain NRRL 3357 to the level of
5 fold sequence coverage. Whole genome sequencing was done at The
Institute for Genomic Research, Rockville, Maryland under the supervision
of William Nierman. Jennifer Wortman directed the assembly and automated
annotation. The USDA/ARS/SRRC in New Orleans, Louisiana provided
its Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) genomic database for A. flavus
as a matching resource towards the complete genomic characterization
of A. flavus. They also provided funds for fine closure
and finishing of the sequence. Jiujiang Yu at USDA/ARS/SRRC lead
the EST sequencing program and has directed the sequencing efforts
supported by the USDA/ARS.
The available genome sequence for A. flavus
provides a powerful resource for research on the biology and evolution
of this important plant and animal pathogen. Further, we anticipate
that the sequence will reveal critical genetic processes in the
fungus that could be interrupted to control aflatoxin contamination,
which causes hundreds of millions of dollars in crop losses during
years of severe outbreaks.
Sequence Information
Sequence reads from the 5 X coverage were released
to NCBI in July 2005. The annotated genome was released in October
2005 and can be accessed at this site through the genome browser
button below. Manual annotation will be coordinated through North
Carolina State University.
Genome Statistics
5 X draft
79 scaffolds
Scaffold size, 4.5 Mb to 1.0 kb
75% in 10 largest scaffolds
Size 36.3 Mbp
Predicted genes, 13,071
Average gene length, 1,384 bp
The web browser allows visualization of Blast matches
to genes, proteins and genomic sequence of other Aspergillus species,
alignments of A. flavus ESTs, and GO annotations.
Look for sequences with homology to the Aspergillus flavus
genome
Download genomic scaffolds from the NCBI website
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