title: A genome draft of the legless anguid lizard, Ophisaurus gracilis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Transition from a lizard-like to a snake-like body form is one of the most important transformations in reptilian evolution. The increasing number of sequenced reptilian genomes is enabling a deeper understanding of vertebrate evolution, although the genetic basis of the loss of limbs in reptiles remains enigmatic. Here we report genome sequencing, assembly, and annotation for the Asian glass lizard Ophisaurus gracilis, a limbless lizard species with an elongated snake-like body form. Addition of this species to the genome repository will provide an excellent resource for studying the genetic basis of limb loss and trunk elongation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  O. gracilis genome sequencing using the Illumina HiSeq2000 platform resulted in 274.20 Gbp of raw data that was filtered and assembled to a final size of 1.78 Gbp, comprising 6,717 scaffolds with N50 = 1.27 Mbp. Based on the k-mer estimated genome size of 1.71 Gbp, the assembly appears to be nearly 100% complete. A total of 19,513 protein-coding genes were predicted, and 884.06 Mbp of repeat sequences (approximately half of the genome) were annotated. The draft genome of O. gracilis has similar characteristics to both lizard and snake genomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report the first genome of a lizard from the family Anguidae, O. gracilis. This supplements currently available genetic and genomic resources for amniote vertebrates, representing a major increase in comparative genome data available for squamate reptiles in particular.
authors: BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China.
authors: Bo
authors: B
authors: Song
authors: BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China ; HKU-BGI Bioinformatics Algorithms and Core Technology Research Laboratory, The Computer Science Department, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Shifeng
authors: S
authors: Cheng
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, and Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China.
authors: Yanbo
authors: Y
authors: Sun
authors: BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China.
authors: Xiao
authors: X
authors: Zhong
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, and Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China.
authors: Jieqiong
authors: J
authors: Jin
authors: BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China.
authors: Rui
authors: R
authors: Guan
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, and Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ; Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, Royal Ontario Museum, 100 Queen's Park, Toronto, Ont. M5S 2C6 Canada.
authors: Robert W
authors: RW
authors: Murphy
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, and Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Che
authors: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, and Yunnan Laboratory of Molecular Biology of Domestic Animals, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ; Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Bio-resource, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091 China.
authors: Yaping
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, 518083 China.
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Liu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D030541:Databases, Genetic; D016678:Genome; D008116:Lizards / Q000235:genetics*; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation
keywords: Anguidae; Limblessness; Lizard genome; Squamate reptiles