Genomics in the long-read sequencing era.

Long-read sequencing (LRS) technologies have provided extremely powerful tools to explore genomes. While in the early years these methods suffered technical limitations, they have recently made significant progress in terms of read length, throughput, and accuracy and bioinformatics tools have strongly improved. Here, we aim to review the current status of LRS technologies, the development of novel methods, and the impact on genomics research. We will explore the most impactful recent findings made possible by these technologies focusing on high-resolution sequencing of genomes and transcriptomes and the direct detection of DNA and RNA modifications. We will also discuss how LRS methods promise a more comprehensive understanding of human genetic variation, transcriptomics, and epigenetics for the coming years.

Genome sequence of the coffee root-knot nematode Meloidogyne exigua.

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) cause serious damages on most crops. Here, we report a high-quality genome sequence of Meloidogyne exigua (population Mex1, Costa Rica), a major pathogen of coffee. Its mitogenome (20,974 bp) was first assembled and annotated. The nuclear genome was then constructed consisting of 206 contigs, with an N50 length of 1.89 Mb and a total assembly length of 42.1 Mb.