<b>Genome assembly and annotation of </b><b><i>Verticillium alfalfae</i></b><b> strain Va8</b>

To elucidate the genetic basis of its pathogenicity, we sequenced the genome of <i>V. alfalfae</i> strain Va8 using the PacBio Sequel single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing platform, supplemented with Illumina short-read sequencing for error correction. Genome assembly was performed using Hifiasm, yielding a high-quality genome assembly at the contig level.

The assembled genome is 33,951,091 base pairs (bp) in size and comprises 8 contigs, with a contig N50 of 3,990,853 bp and a contig N90 of 3,057,321 bp. A total of 771,686 bp of repetitive sequences and 9,441 protein-coding genes were predicted, of which 9,425 were functionally annotated using multiple public databases. This study enhances our understanding of the genetic basis of <i>V. alfalfae</i> pathogenicity and provides a foundation for future research on disease control and fungal evolution.</p></pre><p></p>