A chromosome-level genome of Antechinus flavipes provides a reference
for an Australasian marsupial genus with suicidal reproduction
Abstract
The 15 species of small carnivorous marsupials that comprise the genus
Antechinus exhibit semelparity, a rare life-history strategy where death
occurs after one breeding season. Antechinus males, but not females, age
rapidly (demonstrate organismal senescence) during the breeding season
and show promise as new animal models of ageing. Some antechinus species
are also threatened or endangered. Here, we report chromosome-level
genomes of the yellow-footed antechinus Antechinus flavipes. The genome
assembly has a total length of 3.2 Gb with a contig N50 of 51.8 Mb and a
scaffold N50 of 636.7 Mb. We anchored and oriented 99.7% of the
assembly on seven pseudochromosomes and found that repetitive DNA
sequences occupy 51.8% of the genome. Draft genome assemblies of three
related species in the subfamily Phascogalinae, two additional
antechinus species (A. argentus and A. arktos) and the iteroparous
sister species Murexia melanurus were also generated. Preliminary
demographic analysis supports the hypothesis that climate change during
the Pleistocene isolated species in Phascogalinae and shaped their
population size. A transcriptomic profile across the A. flavipes
breeding season allowed us to identify genes associated with aspects of
the male die-off. The chromosome-level A. flavipes genome provides a
steppingstone to understanding an enigmatic life-history strategy and a
resource to assist the conservation of antechinuses.