Sequencing of reduced representation libraries enables genotyping of many individuals for population genomic studies. However, high amounts of DNA are required, and the method cannot be applied directly on single cells, preventing its use on most microbes. We developed and implemented the analysis of single amplified genomes followed by restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing to bypass labor-intensive culturing and to avoid culturing bias in population genomic studies of unicellular eukaryotes. This method thus opens the way for addressing important questions about the genetic diversity, gene flow, adaptation, dispersal, and biogeography of hitherto unexplored species.
Keywords: culturing bias; microbial genetic diversity; microeukaryotes; restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing; single amplified genome (SAG); whole-genome amplification (WGA).
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution.