Investigating Maize Genome Structural Variation Using Bionano Genome Mapping

Genomes contain structural variations (SV) that are comprised of unbalanced forms (copy number variation) and balanced forms (sequences in same copy number but at different genomic locations), and SV has been implicated in phenotype variation. However, SV often occurs on a scale that is difficult to characterized with classic, hybridization-based, or sequencing-based approaches. Optical mapping, and, more specifically, BioNano Genome® (BNG) mapping technology allow direct visualization of long and single DNA molecules, which improves characterization of large scale SV.  Here, we used BNG technology to identify and characterize SV between the maize lines B73 and Mo17.