T2T genomes of Caenorhabditis nigoni and Caenorhabditis briggsae reveal divergence in satellite DNA abundance.

Caenorhabditis nigoni has 4.0 times more satellite DNA than Caenorhabditis briggsae, with 12.8 Mb versus 3.2 Mb, revealing significant divergence in repetitive DNA.

• Why it matters: Understanding satellite DNA variation is crucial for insights into genome evolution and species divergence, especially in closely related nematodes used for reproductive studies.
• What they did: Researchers generated complete telomere-to-telomere genome assemblies for C. nigoni and C. briggsae using long-read sequencing, revealing differences in satellite DNA and chromosomal structures.
• The result: The findings highlight the divergence in repetitive DNA elements, particularly satellite DNA, and provide a comprehensive resource for future genomic and evolutionary analyses.