Nanopore sequencing for the analysis of genomes and transcriptomes in the tripartite symbiotic associations of Pisum sativum.

Alexey Afonin presents the aim of his work was to complement the basic knowledge about the Pisum sativum-microbe symbioses with the data obtained using the Nanopore technology. Until recently, the genome of the plant was unsequenced, and the number of complete genomes of the compatible bacteria *Rhizobium leguminosarum* was only 12.

Alexey and his team sequenced and assembled to the level of circular amplicons more than 30 genomes of *R. leguminosarum* strains with different symbiotic properties. The genome of the plant was assembled using only the long reads with better parameters (n50 = 1 m.b.p., genome length 4Gbp), than currently available assemblies.
Using the newly assembled plant genome, he investigated the transcriptional profiles of the root nodules and of the mycorrhizal roots of the plant using cDNA sequencing with Nanopore and were able to perform genome annotation and discern transcripts and isoforms, unique for the respective symbioses, improving the overall quality of genome annotation.

Finally, Nanopore sequencing proved to be a potent method for rapid assembly of large, repeat-rich plant genomes and can also be used to perform transcriptome and isoform annotation.