Pair DNA Research Articles

Rif1-Dependent Control of Replication Timing.

Successful duplication of the genome requires the accurate replication of billions of base pairs of DNA within a relatively short time frame. Failure to accurately replicate the genome results in genomic instability and a host of diseases. To faithfully and rapidly replicate the genome, DNA replication must be tightly regulated and coordinated with many other nuclear processes. These regulations, however, must also be flexible as replication kinetics can change through development and differentiation. Exactly how DNA replication is regulated and how this regulation changes through development is an active field of research. One aspect of genome duplication where much remains to be discovered is replication timing (RT), which dictates when each segment of the genome is replicated during S phase. All organisms display some level of RT, yet the precise mechanisms that govern RT remain are not fully understood. The study of Rif1, a protein that actively regulates RT from yeast to humans, provides a key to unlock the underlying molecular mechanisms controlling RT. The paradigm for Rif1 function is to delay helicase activation within certain regions of the genome, causing these regions to replicate late in S phase. Many questions, however, remain about the intricacies of Rif1 function. Here, we review the current models for the activity of Rif1 with the goal of trying to understand how Rif1 functions to establish the RT program.

Study on the interaction between aflatoxin M1 and DNA and its application in the removal of aflatoxin M1

To reveal the interaction between aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) and DNA, and then explore a new method to remove AFM1, spectroscopy, electrophoresis, and fluorescence microscopy were used. Fluorescence spectra assay showed that AFM1 and ethidium bromide (EB) competed for the intercalation sites in DNA, and the binding constant between AFM1 and DNA was 3.81 ± 0.1 × 107 L mol−1. The comparison of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) in the fluorescence enhancement of AFM1 further proved that the binding sites were between the base pairs of DNA. In the presence of AFM1, the melting temperature of DNA increased by 6.2 ° C, and the circular dichroism of DNA changed. These events were closely related to the intercalation between AFM1 and DNA. The binding between AFM1 and DNA was firm. AFM1 and DNA did not separate in agarose gel electrophoresis. Based on the intercalation between AFM1 and DNA, with DNA as an intermediate medium, AFM1 can be indirectly adsorbed onto magnetic beads. Then, AFM1 could be removed by magnetic separation. At an initial concentration of 10 μg/L, the removal efficiencies were 95.5%±3.7 and 85.5%±3.3 for aqueous solution and milk, respectively. This research result provided a direction in the detoxification of AFM1, which deserves to be developed further.

Genetic diagnosis of pseudomyxoma peritonei originating from mucinous borderline tumor inside an ovarian teratoma

BackgroundPseudomyxoma peritonei is a rare disease condition mainly caused by primary mucinous tumors from the appendix and rarely from the ovary, such as when mucinous ovarian tumors arise from within a teratoma. Molecular analyses of pseudomyxoma from the appendix showed that KRAS and GNAS pathogenic variants are common genetic features of pseudomyxoma peritonei. However, the origin of the tumors is difficult to be identified via genetic variants alone. This study presents a case of pseudomyxoma peritonei of ovarian origin, which was diagnosed by comprehensive genomic profiling with ploidy analysis in a series of primary, recurrent, and autopsy tumor specimens.Case presentationA 40-year-old woman was diagnosed with Stage IC2 mucinous ovarian tumor of borderline malignancy with mature cystic teratoma, upon clinical pathology. Immunohistochemical analysis suggested that the mucinous tumor was derived from the intestinal component of an ovarian teratoma. Three years later, intraperitoneal recurrence was detected, which subsequently progressed to pseudomyxoma peritonei. Genomic analysis detected KRAS (G12D), GNAS (R201C), and FBXW7 (R367*) variants in the primary tumor. In addition, the tumor showed aneuploidy with loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in all its chromosomes, which suggested that the primary ovarian tumor was derived from germ cells. Existence of one Barr body suggested the existence of uniparental disomy of the tumors throughout the genome, instead of a haploid genotype. All three pathogenic variants remained positive in the initial recurrent tumor, as well as in the paired DNA from the whole blood in pseudomyxoma peritonei. The pathogenic variant of KRAS (G12D) was also identified in the autopsy specimen of the appendix by droplet digital polymerase chain reaction.ConclusionsThis study pathologically and genetically confirmed that the primary ovarian borderline tumor was derived from the intestinal component of an ovarian teratoma, and that the subsequent pseudomyxoma peritonei progressed from the primary ovarian tumor. Integrative genomic analysis was useful to identify cellular origin of tumors, as well as to precisely interpret the process of disease progression.

416 Low Allele Frequency Somatic Variants in Sporadic Saccular “Berry” Cerebral Aneurysms

INTRODUCTION: The pathogenesis of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) is complex, with both genetic and environmental risk factors. Much effort has been devoted to identifying the molecular mechanisms of IAs to develop new therapies halting the progression of IAs. METHODS: Deep whole exome sequencing was performed for 11 anterior circulation, sporadic saccular IAs from 10 unrelated patients. Paired aneurysm-peripheral blood DNA samples were compared to evaluate the somatic saccular aneurysm exome alterations. Variants were validated with deep next generation sequencing methods. The genetic landscape of a validation cohort of 60 aneurysms was analyzed by targeted deep sequencing of a vascular panel of genes. RESULTS: Whole exome sequencing revealed somatic variants in 7 of 11 saccular aneurysms. Most coding somatic variants found were missense (68%). Somatic variants in multiple genes were common, all falling into similar allele frequencies (3-18%). Two aneurysms from one patient underwent exome sequencing with differing alterations (Acom with no alterations and MCA with 20 variants with about 8% allele frequencies). Targeted sequencing validation of these in a larger cohort revealed alterations in similar allele fractions. Saccular aneurysms harbored variants in genes falling into several functional categories including angiogenesis (PKD1), DNA repair (SFB3, DCC, MLH1), ECM (COL4A5, MMP8) and cancer genes (ERBb4 and PTCH1). Double variants, predicted to be protein/function altering were found in the following genes: DCC, ATXN1L, CCDC178, GAD2, IARS2, ERBb4, COL4A5, FAM122C, ANK2, SF3B3, ADCY7, ABCB4 and RAB11FIP1. CONCLUSION: Anterior circulation saccular IAs harbor somatic low allele fraction variants in coding genes predicted to alter protein function. Allele fractions occurred in a similar range within and between samples suggesting a cell-based population driving the pathogenesis of saccular IAs. Recurrent variants in genes known to be involved in IAs (PKD1 and COL4A5) and novel genes (ERBb4 and FAM122C) are new frontiers for further research.

Deciphering the mechanism of p73 recognition of p53 response elements using the crystal structure of p73-DNA complexes and computational studies

p73 belongs to p53 family transcription factor activating more than 50% of cell fate p53 target genes involved in cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA damage response alongside neuronal system development and differentiation by binding to 20-bp response elements (REs) having sequence motif (PPPC-A/T-T/A-GYYY) where P-purines and Y-pyrimidines with each 10-bp separated by minimum 0 to 13-bp spacer. The promiscuous nature of recognizing both cell fate and development genes and the underlying RE selectivity mechanism by p73 is not well understood. Here, we report the molecular details of p73 recognizing the REs using the crystal structure of p73 DNA binding domain (DBD) in complex with 12 base pair DNA sequence 5'-cAGGCATGCCTg-3′ and molecular dynamics simulations with six different p53 natural promoter sequences. Each 20-base pair natural promoter forms a different major/minor groove due to the presence of nucleotides A/T, A/C, G/G, T/T and G/T at positions 3, 8, 13, 18 uniquely recognized by p73 key residues Lys138 and Arg268. The loops L1 and L3 bearing these residues influence inter-and intra-dimer interfaces interactions and hence p73 forms a unique tetramer with each natural promoter sequence. Structural features of the DNA and the spacing between half-sites influence p73 tetramerization and its transactivation function.

Molecular Mechanism of Dual Intercalation in Sac7d-DNA Complexation.

Sac7d belongs to the hyperthermophilc chromosomal protein family, and it is very stable with regard to heat and acidic environments. Unlike many other DNA-protein complexes, the present one is a nonspecific complexation where two amino acids (AA), VAL26 and MET29, are found to intercalate into the same base pair of DNA. Here, we have carried out multiple short molecular dynamic simulations to calculate the distribution of nonspecific protein-DNA aggregates to find the most probable state, which was subsequently used to construct the free energy landscape of protein intercalation into DNA. Analysis of trajectories along the minimum free energy path revealed mechanistic details such as rotation of the protein, simultaneous intercalation of two amino acids, and bending/kinking of the DNA. Moreover, the results indicate a strong interdependency between the intercalating amino acids such that the deintercalation of one AA leads to a spontaneous deintercalation of the other.

Abstract P1-24-02: Genetic variants and tumor microenvironment in inflammatory breast cancer: Clues for targeted therapies

Abstract Background: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is characterized by a young age at diagnosis, high metastatic potential, and poor overall survival. To better understand the etiology of this aggressive disease, we performed a retrospective study to evaluate genomic alterations and tumor microenvironment in IBC patients. Methods: Targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) was performed using blood cell-free DNA (cfDNA) (n=32), paired DNA from tumor tissues (n=29) and DNA from whole blood or normal tissue (n=20). We also characterized the tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in tumor tissue biopsies by studying several markers (CD4, CD8, FoxP3, CD20, PD-1 and PD-L1) through immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining. Results: Our results shown a high incidence of germline variants in patients with IBC that could be associated with an increased risk of developing the disease. Germline variants were found more frequently in patients with TN (38.9%) than non-TN IBC (28.6%). IHC staining revealed that in 7 of 24 (29%) patients, tumor biopsies were positive for PD-L1 and PD-1 expression on TILs. Patients with PD-L1&PD-1 positive biopsies had a lower OS (31 months) than patients with PD-L1&PD-1 negative (38 months) tumors, though the difference was not statistically significant. PD-L1&PD-1 positive tumors had significantly more CD8+ (cytotoxic T-cells), CD20+ (B-cells) and FoxP3+ (Tregs) cells than PD-L1&PD-1 negative ones. Furthermore, most IBC patients showed to have deficiencies in the homologous recombination repair (HRR) pathway (BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, RAD51C, ATM, BARD1) making them sensitive to poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors. All tumor biopsies showed positive staining for p-FAK1(Tyr 397). Conclusion: A subset of IBC patients (29%) expressed both PD-L1 and PD-1 on tumor immune cells infiltrates, providing rationale for testing PD-1/PD-L1 blocking therapies. IBC patients could have benefits from PD-1/PD-L1 blocking therapies alone or in combination with PARP or FAK (Tyr397) kinase inhibitors, both having the capacity of altering the tumor microenvironment. Citation Format: Maria F. Arisi, Yulan Gong, Rajeswari Nagarathinam, Lorenzo Gerratana, Jianming Pei, Kathy Q. Cai, Jennifer Winn, Zachary Hasse, Elias Obeid, Julio Noriega, Christopher Sebastiano, Eric Ross, R. Katherine Alpaugh, Massimo Cristofanilli, Sandra V Fernandez. Genetic variants and tumor microenvironment in inflammatory breast cancer: Clues for targeted therapies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-24-02.

Abstract P2-07-01: Blood tumor mutational burden (bTMB) and blood copy number burden (bCNB) by genome-wide circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assessment predict outcome and resistance in hormone-receptor positive (HR+), HER2 negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients (pts) treated with CDK4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i)

Abstract Background: CDK4/6i combined with ET improves survival for pts with HR+, HER2- MBC. However, biomarkers to predict efficacy and resistance are needed. We hypothesized that a comprehensive next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based liquid biopsy assessment of ctDNA mutation and copy number analysis may identify novel prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Methods: We collected serial blood for ctDNA testing from the 51 pts with HR+, HER2- MBC enrolled in the Alt Dose Palbo trial (NCT03007979), a single-arm phase II study of palbociclib plus letrozole or fulvestrant at 5 days on/2 days off weekly schedule as the first- or second-line ET. The median follow up was 38.2 months at data cutoff for this analysis. Plasma collected at baseline (BL) from all 51 pts, at progression (PD) from all 20 pts who have progressed, and at additional interim timepoints from 2 pts to explore longitutinal changes, with paired germline DNA, were subjected to the PredicineWES+ assay and low-pass whole-genome sequencing (lpWGS). The PredicineWES+ assay provides deep sequencing of 600 genes in the PredicineATLAS panel combined with whole-exome sequencing (WES) of all exonic regions of 20,000 genes enabling genome-wide detection of somatic single nucleotide variation (SNV), indels, copy number variation (CNV) and determination of bTMB. LpWGS offers an unbiased and high-throughput assessment of CNVs and tumor fraction in cell free DNA to derive bCNB. Statistical associations of bTMB, bCNB, and individual alterations with clinical benefit (CB), defined as no PD at 24 weeks by RECIST 1.1, and progression-free survival (PFS) were examined by Fisher’s exact test, Kaplan-Meier analysis, and Cox model. P values were adjusted to control false discovery rate (FDR). Results: The BL median bTMB was 1.6 mutations per megabase pair [IQR 0.6-3.5]. Pts with CB (N=41, 80%) had significantly lower bTMB scores (median [IQR] 1.2 [0.6-2.6] vs. 8.3 [2.4-21.4], (P<0.01) and significantly lower bCNB (P=0.03). bTMB and bCNB were highly correlated (Spearman correlation ρ =0.77, P=6.2E-11). bTMB above the predefined cutoff of 16 identified pts with significantly shorter PFS (4.7 vs 18.2 months, HR 3.73, CI 1.24-11.27, P=0.01). In contrast, BL clinical features including ET sensitivity, bone only vs. visceral, or de novo vs. recurrent MBC, were not associated with CB. BL alterations (SNV or CNV) in 91 genes, occurring in at least 3 pts each, were significantly associated with worse PFS (adjusted P<0.05), 61 of which were outside of the 600-gene panel. The 91 genes included both novel and previously reported alterations implicated in CDK4/6i and ET resistance. Examples include AR, ATM, AURKA, BRCA2, CCND1, DDR2, ESR1, FAT1, FGFR4, FOXP1, MYC, RB1, and RUNX1T1, some of which were also enriched at PD. Additional novel variants were enriched at PD, including ABCC12, ABCA13, SHANK1, and TET1. Serial analysis at BL, cycle 1 day 15 (C1D15), C2D1, the last Q3-month staging scan without PD, and at imaging detection of PD from 2 pts revealed a decline in bCNB at C1D15, then plateau, followed by an increase in bCNB that preceded imaging detection of PD. Conclusion: The comprehensive ctDNA profiling approach with PredicineWES+ and lpWGS identified high BL bTMB and bCNB as poor prognostic biomarkers in pts on CDK4/6i and ET. Our study also discovered novel candidate genes involved in cell cycle and DNA damage repair pathways in association with poor outcome. Results from this study highlight the genomic heterogeneity of HR+, HER2- MBC and provide important insights in the understanding of CDK4/6i and ET resistance mechanisms to guide therapeutic development in pts with resistant disease. Citation Format: Andrew Davis, Jingqin Luo, Tiantian Zheng, Lu Tan, Amy Wang, Rama Suresh, Foluso Ademuyiwa, Caron Rigden, Timothy Rearden, Katherine Clifton, Katherine Weilbaecher, Ashley Frith, Pavan K Tandra, Tracy Summa, Brittney Haas, Shana Thomas, Leonel Hernandez-Aya, Lindsay Peterson, Shujun Luo, Bonnie L King, Shidong Jia, Jianjun Yu, Pan Du, Jairam Krishnamurthy, Cynthia X Ma, C Dai. Blood tumor mutational burden (bTMB) and blood copy number burden (bCNB) by genome-wide circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) assessment predict outcome and resistance in hormone-receptor positive (HR+), HER2 negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer (MBC) patients (pts) treated with CDK4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6i) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-07-01.

Review on Illumina Sequencing Technology

Illumina sequencing process utilizes biochemical methods to determine the correct order of nucleotide bases in a deoxyribonucleic acid. Macromolecule using sequencing-by-synthesis and reversible dye-terminators that enable the identification of single bases are introduced into DNA strands and used to determine the series of base pairs in DNA. It has a very wide range of applications that can be used for whole-genome sequencing, targeted region sequencing, transcriptome analysis, metagenomics, small Ribonucleic acid discovery, methylation profiling, and genome-wide protein-nucleic acid interaction analysis, helping people unlocking the power of the gene.

Sporadic hypothalamic hamartoma is a ciliopathy with somatic and bi-allelic contributions.

Hypothalamic hamartoma with gelastic seizures is a well-established cause of drug-resistant epilepsy in early life. The development of novel surgical techniques has permitted the genomic interrogation of hypothalamic hamartoma tissue. This has revealed causative mosaic variants within GLI3, OFD1 and other key regulators of the sonic-hedgehog pathway in a minority of cases. Sonic-hedgehog signalling proteins localize to the cellular organelle primary cilia. We therefore explored the hypothesis that cilia gene variants may underlie hitherto unsolved cases of sporadic hypothalamic hamartoma. We performed high-depth exome sequencing and chromosomal microarray on surgically resected hypothalamic hamartoma tissue and paired leukocyte-derived DNA from 27 patients. We searched for both germline and somatic variants under both dominant and bi-allelic genetic models. In hamartoma-derived DNA of seven patients we identified bi-allelic (one germline, one somatic) variants within one of four cilia genes-DYNC2I1, DYNC2H1, IFT140 or SMO. In eight patients, we identified single somatic variants in the previously established hypothalamic hamartoma disease genes GLI3 or OFD1. Overall, we established a plausible molecular cause for 15/27 (56%) patients. Here, we expand the genetic architecture beyond single variants within dominant disease genes that cause sporadic hypothalamic hamartoma to bi-allelic (one germline/one somatic) variants, implicate three novel cilia genes and reconceptualize the disorder as a ciliopathy.

Hidden Information Revealed Using the Orthogonal System of Nucleic Acids.

In this study, the organization of genetic information in nucleic acids is defined using a novel orthogonal representation. Clearly defined base pairing in DNA allows the linear base chain and sequence to be mathematically transformed into an orthogonal representation where the G–C and A–T pairs are displayed in different planes that are perpendicular to each other. This form of base allocation enables the evaluation of any nucleic acid and predicts the likelihood of a particular region to form non-canonical motifs. The G4Hunter algorithm is currently a popular method of identifying G-quadruplex forming sequences in nucleic acids, and offers promising scores despite its lack of a substantial rational basis. The orthogonal representation described here is an effort to address this incongruity. In addition, the orthogonal display facilitates the search for other sequences that are capable of adopting non-canonical motifs, such as direct and palindromic repeats. The technique can also be used for various RNAs, including any aptamers. This powerful tool based on an orthogonal system offers considerable potential for a wide range of applications.

Finding and cleaving a holliday junction in long double-stranded DNA: a complete resolution reaction trajectory by single-molecule tracking

Resolution of four-way Holliday junctions (HJs) is a critical intermediate step of Homologous Recombination. HJs are processed by abundant junction-resolving endonucleases that introduce two hydrolytic cleavages. Although their catalytic activity and interaction mode with HJ-DNA have been characterized in great detail by biochemical and structural studies, it remains unclear how the endonucleases find their substrate located in kilobase pairs of duplex DNA. Here, we studied the interaction of the T7 endonuclease I with a long dsDNA molecule that has a junction located at its center.

Development of single-molecule assays with solid-state nanopores using computational tools and DNA nanostructures

Solid-state nanopores are versatile nanoscale sensors to electrically characterize a range of biomolecules at the single-molecule level. When combined with DNA nanotechnology (nanostructures self-assembled via specific base pairing of DNA), solid-state nanopores can enable the specific and sensitive detection of disease biomarkers, opening exciting opportunities in clinical diagnostics. Yet challenges remain to improve the performance of such single-molecule assays. To that end, tools and methods through which to design ultra-sensitive, target-specific assays are critical to advancing these digital schemes.

Arginine anchor points in histone H3 tail dynamics

Chromatin is dynamically reorganized during development and in response to stimuli, and the post-translational modification of histones is a key component of this regulation. The basic subunit of chromatin is the nucleosome core particle, consisting of two copies each of the histones H2A, H2B, H3, and H4 around which 147 base pairs of DNA wraps. The intrinsically disordered histone termini, or tails, protrude from the core and are heavily post-translationally modified. Previous studies have shown that the histone tails exist in dynamic ensembles of DNA-bound states within the nucleosome core particle.

Breaths, twists, and turns of free and interacting atomistic nucleosomes

Nuclear chromatin is a dynamic structure made of arrays of nucleosomes with different sizes and degrees of compaction. Structural rearrangements in chromatin rely on inter and intra nucleosome dynamics and are essential for gene regulation and cell fate transitions. Understanding these rearrangements requires elucidating nucleosome structural flexibility and how different factors affect it. In the nucleosome, 145-147 base pairs of DNA are wrapped around an octamer formed by four histone proteins.

Measurement of deaminated cytosine adducts in DNA using a novel hybrid thymine DNA glycosylase

The hydrolytic deamination of cytosine and 5-methylcytosine drives many of the transition mutations observed in human cancer. The deamination-induced mutagenic intermediates include either uracil or thymine adducts mispaired with guanine. While a substantial array of methods exist to measure other types of DNA adducts, the cytosine deamination adducts pose unusual analytical problems, and adequate methods to measure them have not yet been developed. We describe here a novel hybrid thymine DNA glycosylase (TDG) that is comprised of a 29-amino acid sequence from human TDG linked to the catalytic domain of a thymine glycosylase found in an archaeal thermophilic bacterium. Using defined-sequence oligonucleotides, we show that hybrid TDG has robust mispair-selective activity against deaminated U:G and T:G mispairs. We have further developed a method for separating glycosylase-released free bases from oligonucleotides and DNA followed by GC–MS/MS quantification. Using this approach, we have measured for the first time the levels of total uracil, U:G, and T:G pairs in calf thymus DNA. The method presented here will allow the measurement of the formation, persistence, and repair of a biologically important class of deaminated cytosine adducts.

Anomeric DNA: Functionalization of α-d Anomers of 7-Deaza-2'-deoxyadenosine and 2'-Deoxyuridine with Clickable Side Chains and Click Adducts in Homochiral and Heterochiral Double Helices.

Anomeric base pairs in heterochiral DNA with strands in the α‐d and β‐d configurations and homochiral DNA with both strands in α‐d configuration were functionalized. The α‐d anomers of 2′‐deoxyuridine and 7‐deaza‐2′‐deoxyadenosine were synthesized and functionalized with clickable octadiynyl side chains. Nucleosides were protected and converted to phosphoramidites. Solid‐phase synthesis furnished 12‐mer oligonucleotides, which were hybridized. Pyrene click adducts display fluorescence, a few of them with excimer emission. T m values and thermodynamic data revealed the following order of duplex stability α/α‐d≫β/β‐d≥α/β‐d. CD spectra disclosed that conformational changes occur during hybridization. Functionalized DNAs were modeled and energy minimized. Clickable side chains and bulky click adducts are well accommodated in the grooves of anomeric DNA. The investigation shows for the first time that anomeric DNAs can be functionalized in the same way as canonical DNA for potential applications in nucleic acid chemistry, chemical biology, and DNA material science.

Somatic loss of the remaining allele occurs approximately in half of CHEK2-driven breast cancers and is accompanied by a border-line increase of chromosomal instability.

Germline mutations in CHEK2 gene represent the second most frequent cause of hereditary breast cancer (BC) after BRCA1/2 lesions. This study aimed to identify the molecular characteristics of CHEK2-driven BCs. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH) for the remaining CHEK2 allele was examined in 50 CHEK2-driven BCs using allele-specific PCR assays for the germline mutations and analysis of surrounding single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Paired tumor and normal DNA samples from 25 cases were subjected to next-generation sequencing analysis. CHEK2 LOH was detected in 28/50 (56%) BCs. LOH involved the wild-type allele in 24 BCs, mutant CHEK2 copy was deleted in 3 carcinomas, while in one case the origin of the deleted allele could not be identified. Somatic PIK3CA and TP53 mutations were present in 13/25 (52%) and 4/25 (16%) tumors, respectively. Genomic features of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD), including the HRD score ≥ 42, the predominance of BRCA-related mutational signature 3, and the high proportion of long (≥ 5bp) indels, were observed only in 1/20 (5%) BC analyzed for chromosomal instability. Tumors with the deleted wild-type CHEK2 allele differed from LOH-negative cases by elevated HRD scores (median 23 vs. 7, p = 0.010) and higher numbers of chromosomal segments affected by copy number aberrations (p = 0.008). Somatic loss of the wild-type CHEK2 allele is observed in approximately half of CHEK2-driven BCs. Tumors without CHEK2 LOH are chromosomally stable. BCs with LOH demonstrate some signs of chromosomal instability; however, its degree is significantly lower as compared to BRCA1/2-associated cancers.

Somatic mosaicism in the MAPK pathway in sporadic brain arteriovenous malformation and association with phenotype.

Sporadic brain arteriovenous malformation (BAVM) is a tangled vascular lesion characterized by direct artery-to-vein connections that can cause life-threatening intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Recently, somatic mutations in KRAS have been reported in sporadic BAVM, and mutations in other mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway genes have been identified in other vascular malformations. The objectives of this study were to systematically evaluate somatic mutations in MAPK pathway genes in patients with sporadic BAVM lesions and to evaluate the association of somatic mutations with phenotypes of sporadic BAVM severity. The authors performed whole-exome sequencing on paired lesion and blood DNA samples from 14 patients with sporadic BAVM, and 295 genes in the MAPK signaling pathway were evaluated to identify genes with somatic mutations in multiple patients with BAVM. Digital droplet polymerase chain reaction was used to validate KRAS G12V and G12D mutations and to assay an additional 56 BAVM samples. The authors identified a total of 24 candidate BAVM-associated somatic variants in 11 MAPK pathway genes. The previously identified KRAS G12V and G12D mutations were the only recurrent mutations. Overall, somatic KRAS G12V was present in 14.5% of BAVM lesions and G12D was present in 31.9%. The authors did not detect a significant association between the presence or allelic burden of KRAS mutation and three BAVM phenotypes: lesion size (maximum diameter), age at diagnosis, and age at ICH. The authors confirmed the high prevalence of somatic KRAS mutations in sporadic BAVM lesions and identified several candidate somatic variants in other MAPK pathway genes. These somatic variants may contribute to understanding of the etiology of sporadic BAVM and the clinical characteristics of patients with this condition.

Genomic landscape of T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.

ObjectiveT-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma (T-LBL) is an aggressive neoplasm of precursor T cells, however, detailed genome-wide sequencing of large T-LBL cohorts has not been performed due to its rarity. The purpose of this study was to identify putative driver genes in T-LBL.MethodsTo gain insight into the genetic mechanisms of T-LBL development, we performed whole-exome sequencing on 41 paired tumor-normal DNA samples from patients with T-LBL.ResultsWe identified 32 putative driver genes using whole-exome sequencing in 41 T-LBL cases, many of which have not previously been described in T-LBL, such as Janus kinase 3 (JAK3), Janus kinase 1 (JAK1), Runt-related transcription factor 1 (RUNX1) and Wilms’ tumor suppressor gene 1 (WT1). When comparing the genetic alterations of T-LBL to T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL), we found that JAK-STAT and RAS pathway mutations were predominantly observed in T-LBL (58.5% and 34.1%, respectively), whereas Notch and cell cycle signaling pathways mutations were more prevalent in T-ALL. Notably, besides notch receptor 1 (NOTCH1), mutational status of plant homeodomain (PHD)-like finger protein 6 (PHF6) was identified as another independent factor for good prognosis. Of utmost interest is that co-existence of PHF6 and NOTCH1 mutation status might provide an alternative for early therapeutic stratification in T-LBL. ConclusionsTogether, our findings will not only provide new insights into the molecular and genetic mechanisms of T-LBL, but also have tangible implications for clinical practice.