Reference-Guided Draft Genome Assembly, Annotation and SSR Mining Data of the Peruvian Creole Cattle (Bos taurus)

The Peruvian creole cattle (PCC) is a neglected breed and an essential livestock resource in the Andean region of Peru. To develop a modern breeding program and conservation strategies for the PCC, a better understanding of the genetics of this breed is needed. We sequenced the whole genome of the PCC using a de novo assembly approach with a paired-end 150 strategy on the Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform, obtaining 320 GB of sequencing data. A reference scaffolding was used to improve the draft genome. The obtained genome size of the PCC was 2.81 Gb with a contig N50 of 108 Mb and 92.59% complete BUSCOs. This genome size is similar to the genome references of Bos taurus and B. indicus. In addition, we identified 40.22% of repetitive DNA of the genome assembly, of which retroelements occupy 32.39% of the total genome. A total of 19,803 protein-coding genes were annotated in the PCC genome. For SSR data mining, we detected similar statistics in comparison with other breeds. The PCC genome will contribute to a better understanding of the genetics of this species and its adaptation to tough conditions in the Andean ecosystem.

Automated summary

This study sequenced the whole genome of the Peruvian creole cattle (PCC) and found that its genome size is similar to other cattle breeds. Lots of protein-coding genes were annotated in the PCC genome, which will contribute to a better understanding of the genetic characteristics and adaptation ability of this breed.