Question

When assembling a genome sequence, what exactly is a contig?

Answer 1

A contig is formed from a group of singlets. Each singlet corresponds to one DNA molecule read by the sequencer. All reads from a single gene are then combined in a contig.

Answer 2

Thanks... I know it's the overlapping segments, I've just never been sure if the assembled piece has to be a certain size to be considered a contig, like if it has to be composed of 50 singlets, or 100, or whatever. Thanks for your answer though!

Answer 3

The minimal size for a contig is two reads.

Answer 4

:) Thanks a lot

Answer 5

Contig: Contiguous sequence of DNA created by assembling overlapping sequenced fragments of a chromosome. A group of clones representing overlapping regions of the genome.

A contig is a chromosome map showing the locations of those regions of a chromosome where contiguous DNA segments overlap. Contig maps are important because they provide the ability to study a complete, and often large, segment of the genome by examining a series of overlapping clones which then provide an unbroken succession of information about that region.

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