Two cryptomonad algae genomes released

June 16, 2011

The public release of v1 annotations of the Bigelowiella natans CCMP2755 and Guillardia theta CCMP2712 nuclear genome draft assemblies can now be accessed through the JGI Genome Portal at http://www.jgi.doe.gov/bnatans/and http://www.jgi.doe.gov/Gtheta/

Each of these genomes is the first sequenced for its deeply divergent and ancient eukaryotic clade. B. natans is the first Rhizaria to be sequenced (tantamount to sequencing the first plant or the first animal). G. theta is the first Cryptophyta, and the second Hacrobia (after Emiliania huxleyi, also sequenced at JGI). Both algae are the products of 'secondary endosymbiosis' with a green alga and a red alga, respectively. Each organism retains the symbionts' reduced nucleus (a 'nucleomorph') in addition to its nuclear genome. These projects represent our initial draft versions. For both genomes, we managed the sequencing projects and produced the assembled versions.