Résumé
The microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi is an obligate intracellular eukaryotic pathogen with a small nuclear genome (2.9 Mbp) consisting of 11 chromosomes. Although each chromosome end is known to contain a single rDNA unit, the incomplete assembly of subtelomeric regions following sequencing of the genome identified only 3 of the 22 expected rDNA units. While chromosome end assembly remains a difficult process in most eukaryotic genomes, it is of significant importance for pathogens because these regions encode factors important for virulence and host evasion.