diff --git a/src/ensembl/production/metadata/api/models/assembly.py b/src/ensembl/production/metadata/api/models/assembly.py
index 32602496..733776f9 100644
--- a/src/ensembl/production/metadata/api/models/assembly.py
+++ b/src/ensembl/production/metadata/api/models/assembly.py
@@ -57,10 +57,15 @@ class AssemblySequence(Base):
     length = Column(Integer, nullable=False)
     sequence_location = Column(String(10))
     md5 = Column(String(32))
-    sha512t4u = Column(String(128))
-    # One to many relationships
-    # none
-    # many to one relationships
-    # assembly_id within assembly
+    # column need renaming as well
+    sha512t24u = Column(String(128))
     assembly = relationship('Assembly', back_populates="assembly_sequences")
 
+    # backward compatibility with old column name sha512t2u
+    @property
+    def sha512t2u(self):
+        return self.sha512t24u
+
+    @sha512t2u.setter
+    def sha512t2u(self, checksum):
+        self.sha512t24u = checksum
diff --git a/src/ensembl/production/metadata/api/sample/ensembl_metadata/table.sql b/src/ensembl/production/metadata/api/sample/ensembl_metadata/table.sql
index 355b4bfb..9f6cb5a6 100644
--- a/src/ensembl/production/metadata/api/sample/ensembl_metadata/table.sql
+++ b/src/ensembl/production/metadata/api/sample/ensembl_metadata/table.sql
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ CREATE TABLE assembly_sequence
     chromosome_rank      int null,
     sequence_location    varchar(10) null,
     md5                  varchar(32) null,
-    sha512t4u            varchar(128) null,
+    sha512t24u            varchar(128) null,
     constraint assembly_sequence_assembly_id_accession_5f3e5119_uniq
         unique (assembly_id, accession),
     constraint assembly_sequence_assembly_id_2a84ddcb_fk_assembly_assembly_id