DNA sequencing in the classroom: complete genome sequence of two earwig (Dermaptera; Insecta) species
Authors: Kobayashi Sanae , Maldonado Jonathan E. , Gaete Alexis , Araya Ingrid , Aguado-Norese Constanza , Cumplido Nicolás , Díaz Sebastián , Espinoza Alonso , Fernández Edelmira , Gajardo Felipe , González-Ordenes Felipe , Hauyon Khantati , Maldonado Piedad , Maldonado Rodrigo , Pochet Isabel , Riveros Aníbal , Sandoval Paula , Sepúlveda-González Ailynne , Stuardo Camila , Tapia-Reyes Patricio , Thornton Carolina , Undurraga Soledad , Varas Macarena , Valdivieso Camilo ,   School Earwig Genome Consortium, Phillips Alan , Aros Alejandro , Alarcón Alexandra , Mendiboure Alonso , Sepúlveda Alyson , Zepeda Amalia , Bustamante Angela , Russu Angelo , Martínez Anselmo , Inostroza Antonia , Palma Antonio , Ponce Bárbara , Báez Belén , Dianta Belén , Zenteno Benjamín , Jelvez Berenice , Henríquez Brisa , Concha Camila , Fuentes Catalina , Morales Catalina , Inostrosa Claudia , Valenzuela Claudio , Dercolto Constanza , Malebrán Cristian , González Damián , Venegas Daniel , Alvear Dayhanne , Martínez Deyna , Silva Diana , Abarca Diego , Fuentes Elías , Inzunza Elizabeth , Alfaro Fabián , Aqueveque Fernanda , Cartes Fernanda , Delgado Fernanda , Sandoval Fernanda , Tamayo Fernanda , Espinoza Francisco , Espinoza Gladys , Inzunza Gonzalo , Vidal Gonzalo , Roca Grisel , Sánchez Hileinn , Defaur Jared , Sazo Jonathan , Fuentes José Manuel , Cañete José Miguel , Vásquez Juan Pablo , Reyes Karin , Piña Karina , Orellana Katherien , Vega Lisandro , Lagos Loreto , Ponce Magdalena , Maldonado Catalina , González María Alejandra , Torres María Ignacia , Irribarra Mariana , Sanguinetti Mariangela , Leiva Mario , Ibacache Marjorie , Yañez Martín , Palamara Martina , Magnani Massimo , Padilla Maykol , Arancibia Millaray , Acevedo Milovan , Morales Génesis , Castillo Nallely , Carvajal Nélida , González Omar , Alvarado Paola , Muñoz Pía , Erazo Renata , Silva Rocío , Sepúlveda Rodrigo , Valdés Rodrigo , Molina Ronny , Costa Saraí , Alvear Sebastián , Acuña Sofía , Mendoza Sofía , Sáez Sofia , Tapia Sofía , Cerda Tamara , Zamorano Tomás , Araya Valentina , Cortez Valentina , Pereira Valentina , Pino Valentina , Yáñez Victoria , Jaramillo Viviana , Rivera Yavanna , Urbina Yerko , Uzcátegui Zuleimy , Gutiérrez Rodrigo A. , Orellana Ariel , Montecino Martín , Maass Alejandro , González Mauricio , Allende Miguel L. , Hodar Christian , Irles Paula 
Published: February 2023

Background

Despite representing the largest fraction of animal life, the number of insect species whose genome has been sequenced is barely in the hundreds. The order Dermaptera (the earwigs) suffers from a lack of genomic information despite its unique position as one of the basally derived insect groups and its importance in agroecosystems. As part of a national educational and outreach program in genomics, a plan was formulated to engage the participation of high school students in a genome sequencing project. Students from twelve schools across Chile were instructed to capture earwig specimens in their geographical area, to identify them and to provide material for genome sequencing to be carried out by themselves in their schools.

Results

The school students collected specimens from two cosmopolitan earwig species:Euborellia annulipes(Fam. Anisolabididae) andForficula auricularia(Fam. Forficulidae). Genomic DNA was extracted and, with the help of scientific teams that traveled to the schools, was sequenced using nanopore sequencers. The sequence data obtained for both species was assembled and annotated. We obtained genome sizes of 1.18 Gb (F. auricularia) and 0.94 Gb (E. annulipes) with the number of predicted protein coding genes being 31,800 and 40,000, respectively. Our analysis showed that we were able to capture a high percentage (≥ 93%) of conserved proteins indicating genomes that are useful for comparative and functional analysis. We were also able to characterize structural elements such as repetitive sequences and non-coding RNA genes. Finally, functional categories of genes that are overrepresented in each species suggest important differences in the process underlying the formation of germ cells, and modes of reproduction between them, features that are one of the distinguishing biological properties that characterize these two distant families of Dermaptera.

Conclusions

This work represents an unprecedented instance where the scientific and lay community have come together to collaborate in a genome sequencing project. The versatility and accessibility of nanopore sequencers was key to the success of the initiative. We were able to obtain full genome sequences of two important and widely distributed species of insects which had not been analyzed at this level previously. The data made available by the project should illuminate future studies on the Dermaptera.