Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum race 1 (ME23) Genome sequencing and assembly

Diseases such as Fusarium wilt (Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. vasinfectum (FOV) Atk. Sny &Hans) in cotton represent expanding threats to crop production. FOV is a widespread soilborne pathogen that causes vascular plant disease and is responsible for substantial crop losses worldwide. There are currently six recognized races of FOV, and FOV race 1 (FOV1) is well established worldwide across almost all cotton production regions, especially in the US. In addition, it is well known that there is a detrimental synergistic role of root-knot nematode [Meloidogyne incognita (RKN)] with FOV1 where root damage caused by the RKN increases the incidence and severity of FOV1 infection. Herein, we report a high-quality whole genome sequence, assembly, and gene annotation of an FOV1 isolate from California. High molecular weight DNA was extracted from mycelia produced from a single spore isolation. Oxford Nanopore sequencing was performed to generate a consensus assembly having 13 contigs with an N50 value of 4,885,915bp and a total length of 49,876,382bp with no gaps. Annotation using the GenSAS annotation server (https://www.gensas.org) generated a final gene set with a predicted total of 16,304 genes. Several indicators suggest this assembly is approaching chromosome level. Genomic resources like this are crucial to facilitate the identification of genes (effector and receptors) and alleles important in host-plant interactions and for improving selection signatures relevant for resistance to diseases such as Fusarium wilt.