Project description:We used the nanopore Cas9 targeted sequencing (nCATS) strategy to specifically sequence 125 L1HS-containing loci in parallel and measure their DNA methylation levels using nanopore long-read sequencing. Each targeted locus is sequenced at high coverage (~45X) with unambiguously mapped reads spanning the entire L1 element, as well as its flanking sequences over several kilobases. The genome-wide profile of L1 methylation was also assessed by bs-ATLAS-seq in the same cell lines (E-MTAB-10895).
Project description:All lentiviral vectors derived from HIV-1 have the major splice donor (SD1) in the 5’ leader region and splice acceptor 7 (SA7) within the env region. Splicing events decrease the amount of full-length RNA available for packaging into virions and could lead to packaging of genomes containing internal deletions. Because there are splice sites or splicing enhancer/silencer elements in both gag and env, we compared how deleting each region affected intracellular genomic RNA splicing in RNA isolated from transfected HEK293Tsa cells. Oxford Nanopore direct cDNA sequencing was used to characterize the splice variants because the long-read length allows full-length transcripts to be analyzed. We show that deleting 507 nt of env, including the SA7, decreased the number of splicing events per transcript and increased the proportion of unspliced genomic RNAs ~3-fold in the cell.
Project description:Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive cutaneous neuroendocrine cancer. Management of advanced MCC is mainly based on immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). The high failure rate (up to 75%) warrants investigation of new therapeutic targets. The recent identification of BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) mutations in some MCC raises the issue of the use of poly-(ADP-Ribose)-polymerase inhibitors (PARPi) in selected advanced cases. The main objective of our study is to determine the accurate frequency of BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants. We studied a novel series of 35 MCC and performed a meta-analysis of BRCA1/2 variants of published cases in the literature. In our series, we detected only one BRCA2 pathogenic variant (nonsense mutation; ENIGMA class 5) and one BRCA2 variant of unknown significance (VUS). The low frequency of BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants in our series of MCC (3%) was confirmed by the meta-analysis of BRCA1/2 variants of the literature. Among the 204 MCC studied for molecular alterations of BRCA1/2, only two BRCA1 pathogenic nonsense mutations were identified (1%), while the vast majority of BRCA1/2 variants were missense mutations classified as VUS. BRCA1/2 pathogenic variants are uncommon in MCC. However, in BRCA-mutated-MCC, PARPi might be a valuable therapeutic option requiring validation by clinical trials.
Project description:The Long-read POG dataset comprises a cohort of 189 patient tumours and 41 matched normal samples sequenced using the Oxford Nanopore Technologies PromethION platform. This dataset from the Personalized Oncogenomics (POG) program and the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network includes accompanying DNA and RNA short-read sequence data, analytics, and clinical information. We show the potential of long-read sequencing for resolving complex cancer-related structural variants, viral integrations, and extrachromosomal circular DNA. Long-range phasing of variants facilitates the discovery of allelically differentially methylated regions (aDMRs) and allele-specific expression, including recurrent aDMRs in the cancer genes RET and CDKN2A. Germline promoter methylation in MLH1 can be directly observed in Lynch syndrome. Promoter methylation in BRCA1 and RAD51C is a likely driver behind patterns of homologous recombination deficiency where no driver mutation was found. This dataset demonstrates applications for long-read sequencing in precision medicine, and is available as a resource for developing analytical approaches using this technology.
Project description:We used bs-ATLAS-seq to comprehensively map the genomic location and assess the DNA methylation status of human full-length LINE-1 elements (L1) in the genome of 2102Ep cells (E-MTAB-10895). We also achieved targeted nanopore sequencing to assay DNA methylation over a subset of loci (E-MTAB-12247). To further study the link between L1 DNA methylation and expression, we performed, in the same cell line, RNA-seq (E-MTAB-12246), as well as YY1 and H3K4me3 ChIP-seq (this dataset).
Project description:Adenovirus is a common human pathogen that relies on host cell processes for transcription and processing of viral RNA and protein production. Although adenoviral promoters, splice junctions, and cleavage and polyadenylation sites have been characterized using low-throughput biochemical techniques or short read cDNA-based sequencing, these technologies do not fully capture the complexity of the adenoviral transcriptome. By combining Illumina short-read and nanopore long-read direct RNA sequencing approaches, we mapped transcription start sites and cleavage and polyadenylation sites across the adenovirus genome. In addition to confirming the known canonical viral early and late RNA cassettes, our analysis of splice junctions within long RNA reads revealed an additional 35 novel viral transcripts. These RNAs include fourteen new splice junctions which lead to expression of canonical open reading frames (ORF), six novel ORF-containing transcripts, and fifteen transcripts encoding for messages that potentially alter protein functions through truncations or fusion of canonical ORFs. In addition, we also detect RNAs that bypass canonical cleavage sites and generate potential chimeric proteins by linking separate gene transcription units. Of these, an evolutionary conserved protein was detected containing the N-terminus of E4orf6 fused to the downstream DBP/E2A ORF. Loss of this novel protein, E4orf6/DBP, was associated with aberrant viral replication center morphology and poor viral spread. Our work highlights how long-read sequencing technologies can reveal further complexity within viral transcriptomes.
Project description:Quantitative trait loci analyses have revealed an important role for genetic variants in regulating alternative splicing (AS) and alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) in humans. Yet, these studies are generally performed with mature mRNA, so they report on the outcome rather than the processes of RNA maturation and thus may overlook how variants directly modulate pre-mRNA processing. The order in which the many introns of a human gene are removed can substantially influence AS, while nascent RNA polyadenylation can affect RNA stability and decay. However, how splicing order and poly(A) tail length are regulated by genetic variation has never been explored. Here, we used direct RNA nanopore sequencing to investigate allele-specific pre-mRNA maturation in 12 human lymphoblastoid cell lines. We found frequent splicing order differences between alleles and uncovered significant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-splicing order associations in 17 genes. This included SNPs located in or near splice sites as well as more distal intronic and exonic SNPs. Moreover, several genes showed allele-specific poly(A) tail lengths, many of which also had a skewed allelic abundance ratio. HLA class I transcripts, which encode proteins that play an essential role in antigen presentation, showed the most allele-specific splicing orders, which frequently co-occurred with allele-specific AS, APA or poly(A) tail length differences. Together, our results expose new layers of genetic regulation of pre-mRNA maturation and highlight the power of long-read RNA sequencing for allele-specific analyses.
Project description:Resistance to chemotherapy is the most common cause of treatment failure in acute myeloid leukemia and the drug efflux pump ABCB1 is a critical mediator. Here we demonstrate that in vitro daunorubicin exposure can induce activating ABCB1 promoter translocations in human myeloid cells, similar to those recently described in recurrent high-grade serous ovarian and breast cancer. We then develop a targeted nanopore sequencing approach that enables efficient identification of ABCB1 structural variants in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Finally, we confirm that ABCB1high cases of relapsed AML are not characterized by ABCB1 promoter translocations but instead show high-level activity of native promoters, consistent with endogenous regulation.
Project description:Resistance to chemotherapy is the most common cause of treatment failure in acute myeloid leukemia and the drug efflux pump ABCB1 is a critical mediator. Here we demonstrate that in vitro daunorubicin exposure can induce activating ABCB1 promoter translocations in human myeloid cells, similar to those recently described in recurrent high-grade serous ovarian and breast cancer. We then develop a targeted nanopore sequencing approach that enables efficient identification of ABCB1 structural variants in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. Finally, we confirm that ABCB1high cases of relapsed AML are not characterized by ABCB1 promoter translocations but instead show high-level activity of native promoters, consistent with endogenous regulation.