Genome Sequencing of the Moss Funaria hygrometrica

Thanks to its attractive phylogenetic position and molecular genetic attributes the model moss, Physcomitrella patens, has become a powerful tool for developmental and molecular genetic research during the last decade. Although many of the advantageous properties of the bryophyte system have been used in studies on development and cellular function, several peculiar characteristics have not received much attention so far. In particular, evolutionary genomics and comparative developmental genomics of mosses are still in their infancy and are waiting to be exploited. Here we report genome sequencing of Funaria hygrometrica, a relative of the model moss P. patens, using new generation sequencing technology (454, Illumina and Pacific Bioscience). Our current assembly consists of 10 000 scaffolds with an N50 scaffold length of 73kb (assembled using 80x Illumina and 3x 454 data) which is estimated to cover appr. 92% of the F. hygrometrica genome. We are currently working on improving this assembly by adding 4x of PacBio data and Illumina jumping libraries (3kb and 5kb) to aid scaffolding and gap filling. In a parallel effort we are re-sequencing multiple Funaria, Physcomitrium and Physcomitrella strains to explore the genomic mechanisms of rapid sporophyte evolution in the Funariid mosses. Funaria and Physcomitrella represent contrasting morphological and developmental complexities within the group of Funariid mosses and thus provide an ideal model system for comparative studies. Availability of the F. hygrometrica genome will open up new fields in non-vascular plant research by providing novel insights into the comparative genomics, developmental biology and evolutionary genomics of the Funariid mosses.