Genome sequence assembly and annotation of <i>MATA</i> and <i>MATB</i> strains of <i>Yarrowia lipolytica</i>

Yeast is commonly utilized in molecular and cell biology research, and <i>Yarrowia lipolytica</i> is favored by bioengineers due to its ability to produce copious amounts of lipids, chemicals, and enzymes for industrial applications. <i>Y. lipolytica</i> is a dimorphic yeast that can proliferate in aerobic and hydrophobic environments conducive to industrial use. However, there is limited knowledge about the basic molecular biology of this yeast, including how the genome is duplicated and how gene silencing occurs. Genome sequences of <i>Y. lipolytica</i> strains have offered insights into this yeast species and have facilitated the development of new industrial applications. Although previous studies have reported the genome sequence of a few <i>Y. lipolytica</i> strains, it is of value to have more precise sequences and annotation, particularly for studies of the biology of this yeast. To further study and characterize the molecular biology of this microorganism, a high-quality reference genome assembly and annotation has been produced for two related <i>Y. lipolytica</i> strains of the opposite mating type, strain E122 (<i>MATA</i>) and 22301-5 (<i>MATB</i>). The combination of short-read and long-read sequencing of genome DNA and short-read and long-read sequencing of transcript cDNAs allowed the genome assembly and a comparison with a distantly related <i>Yarrowia</i> strain.