Project description:End-to-end chromosome fusions that occur in the context of telomerase deficiency can trigger genomic duplications. These duplications are suggested to arise via Breakage-Fusion-Bridge cycles. To test this hypothesis, we examined end-to-end fusions isolated from C. elegans telomere replication mutants. Genome level rearrangements revealed fused chromosome ends possessing interrupted terminal duplications accompanied by template switching events. These features are very similar to disease-associated duplications of interstitial segments of the human genome. A model termed Fork Stalling and Template Switching has been proposed previously to explain such duplications, where promiscuous replication of large, non-contiguous segments of the genome occurs. Thus, a DNA synthesis-based process can create duplications that seal end-to-end fusions, in the absence of Breakage-Fusion-Bridge cycles. Numerous C. elegans mutant samples were studied with comparative genomic hybridization. There were no replicates or dye-swap hybridizations.
Project description:End-to-end chromosome fusions that occur in the context of telomerase deficiency can trigger genomic duplications. These duplications are suggested to arise via Breakage-Fusion-Bridge cycles. To test this hypothesis, we examined end-to-end fusions isolated from C. elegans telomere replication mutants. Genome level rearrangements revealed fused chromosome ends possessing interrupted terminal duplications accompanied by template switching events. These features are very similar to disease-associated duplications of interstitial segments of the human genome. A model termed Fork Stalling and Template Switching has been proposed previously to explain such duplications, where promiscuous replication of large, non-contiguous segments of the genome occurs. Thus, a DNA synthesis-based process can create duplications that seal end-to-end fusions, in the absence of Breakage-Fusion-Bridge cycles.
Project description:Somatic genome rearrangements are thought to play important roles in cancer development. We optimized a long span paired-end-tag (PET) sequencing approach using 10 Kb genomic DNA inserts to study human genome structural variations (SVs). The use of 10 Kb insert size allows the identification of breakpoints within repetitive or homology containing regions of a few Kb in size and results in a higher physical coverage compared to small insert libraries with the same sequencing effort. We have applied this approach to comprehensively characterize the SVs of 15 cancer and 2 non-cancer genomes and used a filtering approach to strongly enrich for somatic SVs in the cancer genomes. Our analyses revealed that most inversions, deletions, and insertions are germline SVs, whereas tandem duplications, unpaired inversions, inter-chromosomal translocations, and complex rearrangements are overrepresented among somatic rearrangements in cancer genomes. We demonstrate that the quantitative and connective nature of DNA-PET data is precise in delineating the genealogy of complex rearrangement events, we observe signatures which are compatible with breakage-fusion-bridge cycles, and discover that large duplications are among the initial rearrangements that trigger genome instability for extensive amplification in epithelial cancers. Structural variations of 15 human cancer samples and 2 human normal samples were identified by long span paired-end sequencing
Project description:Somatic genome rearrangements are thought to play important roles in cancer development. We optimized a long span paired-end-tag (PET) sequencing approach using 10 Kb genomic DNA inserts to study human genome structural variations (SVs). The use of 10 Kb insert size allows the identification of breakpoints within repetitive or homology containing regions of a few Kb in size and results in a higher physical coverage compared to small insert libraries with the same sequencing effort. We have applied this approach to comprehensively characterize the SVs of 15 cancer and 2 non-cancer genomes and used a filtering approach to strongly enrich for somatic SVs in the cancer genomes. Our analyses revealed that most inversions, deletions, and insertions are germline SVs, whereas tandem duplications, unpaired inversions, inter-chromosomal translocations, and complex rearrangements are overrepresented among somatic rearrangements in cancer genomes. We demonstrate that the quantitative and connective nature of DNA-PET data is precise in delineating the genealogy of complex rearrangement events, we observe signatures which are compatible with breakage-fusion-bridge cycles, and discover that large duplications are among the initial rearrangements that trigger genome instability for extensive amplification in epithelial cancers.
Project description:We isolated and analyzed, at single-nucleotide resolution, cancer-associated neochromosomes from well- and/or dedifferentiated liposarcomas. Neochromosomes, which can exceed 600 Mb in size, initially arise as circular structures following chromothripsis involving chromosome 12. The core of the neochromosome is amplified, rearranged, and corroded through hundreds of breakage-fusion-bridge cycles. Under selective pressure, amplified oncogenes are overexpressed, while coamplified passenger genes may be silenced epigenetically. New material may be captured during punctuated chromothriptic events. Centromeric corro- sion leads to crisis, which is resolved through neocentromere formation or native centromere capture. Finally, amplification terminates, and the neochromosome core is stabilized in linear form by telomere capture. This study investigates the dynamic mutational processes underlying the life history of a special form of cancer mutation.
Project description:To ensure equal separation of DNA, sister chromatids are held together from S phase to metaphase–anaphase transition by a multiprotein complex called cohesin. This makes it possible to establish chromosome biorientation, counteracts the pulling force of mitotic spindle microtubules, preventing premature sister chromatid separation, and ensures precise segregation of sister DNAs into daughter cells In order to better understand how the sister chromatid cohesion process is regulated we looked for new cohesin interacors. We constructed a yeast strain endogenously expressing TAP-tagged Scc1 (Scc1-TAP). Next, we performed a single-step TAP purification using an untagged strain (mock sample) or a strain expressing Scc1-TAP, followed by identification of co-purifying proteins by MS.
Project description:As predicted by the notion that sister chromatid cohesion is mediated by entrapment of sister DNAs inside cohesin rings, there is a perfect correlation between co-entrapment of circular minichromosomes and sister chromatid cohesion. In most cells where cohesin loads onto chromosomes but fails to form cohesion, loading is accompanied by entrapment of individual DNAs. However, cohesin with a hinge whose positively charged lumen has been neutralized not only loads onto and translocates along chromatin but also organizes it into chromatid-like threads, despite largely failing to entrap DNAs inside its ring. Thus, cohesin engages chromatin in both a non-topological and a topological manner. Further, mutation of three highly conserved lysines within the Smc1 hinge abolishes all loading without affecting cohesin’s initial recruitment to centromers or its ability to hydrolyze ATP. We suggest that loading and translocation are mediated by conformational changes in cohesin’s hinge driven by cycles of ATP hydrolysis.
Project description:Intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 (iAMP21) results from breakage-fusion-bridge cycles and chromothripsis defines a cytogenetic subgroup of childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) cases associated with a poor prognosis. To systematically characterize the mechanism of somatic alternations in iAMP21, we perform integrated genomic, cytogenetic and transcriptomic analysis of 128 cases.
Project description:Aneuploidy and chromosomal instability are both commonly found in cancer. Chromosomal instability leads to karyotype heterogeneity in tumors and is associated with therapy resistance, metastasis and poor prognosis. It has been hypothesized that aneuploidy per se is sufficient to drive CIN, however due to limited models and heterogenous results, it has remained controversial which aspects of aneuploidy can drive CIN. In this study we systematically tested the impact of different types of aneuploidies on the induction of CIN. We generated a plethora of isogenic aneuploid clones harboring whole chromosome or segmental aneuploidies in human p53-deficient RPE-1 cells. We observed increased segregation errors in cells harboring trisomies that strongly correlated to the number of gained genes. Strikingly, we found that clones harboring only monosomies do not induce a CIN phenotype. Finally, we found that an initial chromosome breakage event and subsequent fusion can instigate breakage-fusion-bridge cycles. By investigating the impact of monosomies, trisomies and segmental aneuploidies on chromosomal instability we further deciphered the complex relationship between aneuploidy and CIN.