Single-molecule sequencing of the Drosophila serrata genome

Long read sequencing technology promises to greatly enhance de novo assembly of genomes for non-model species. While error rates have been a large stumbling block, sequencing at high coverage allows reads to be self-corrected. Here we sequence and de novo assemble the genome of Drosophila serrata, a non-model species from the montium subgroup that has been well studied for clines and sexual selection. Using 11 PacBio SMRT cells, we generated 12 Gbp of raw sequence data comprising approximately 65x whole genome coverage. Read lengths averaged 8,940 bp (NRead50 12,200) with the longest read at 53 Kbp. We self-corrected reads using the PBDagCon algorithm and assembled the genome using the MHAP algorithm within the PBcR assembler. Total genome length was 198 Mbp with an N50 just under 1 Mbp. Contigs displayed a high degree of arm-level conservation with D. melanogaster. We also provide an initial annotation for this genome using in silico gene predictions that were supported by RNA-seq data.