The advent of single cell DNA sequencing revealed astonishing dynamics of genomic variability, but failed at characterizing smaller to mid size variants that on the germline level have a profound impact. In this work we discover novel dynamics in three brains utilizing single cell long-read sequencing. This provides key insights into the dynamic of the genomes of individual cells and further highlights brain specific activity of transposable elements.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFChromosomal inversions (INVs) are particularly challenging to detect due to their copy-number neutral state and association with repetitive regions. Inversions represent about 1/20 of all balanced structural chromosome aberrations and can lead to disease by gene disruption or altering regulatory regions of dosage-sensitive genes in Short-read genome sequencing (srGS) can only resolve ∼70% of cytogenetically visible inversions referred to clinical diagnostic laboratories, likely due to breakpoints in repetitive regions. Here, we study 12 inversions by long-read genome sequencing (lrGS) ( = 9) or srGS ( = 3) and resolve nine of them.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFClinical genetic laboratories often require a comprehensive analysis of chromosomal rearrangements/structural variants (SVs), from large events like translocations and inversions to supernumerary ring/marker chromosomes and small deletions or duplications. Understanding the complexity of these events and their clinical consequences requires pinpointing breakpoint junctions and resolving the derivative chromosome structure. This task often surpasses the capabilities of short-read sequencing technologies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFProstate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed cancer and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in men. The diagnosis and treatment of PCa carry considerable medical, psychological, and economic implications. Among the risk factors contributing to cancer, viral infections, notably Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), play a significant role.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Telomerase activity plays a crucial role in cancer development and progression. Thus, telomerase activation through the interplay of mutations and epigenetic alterations in the telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) promoter may provide further insight into bladder cancer induction and progression.
Methods: In this study 100 bladder tumour tissues were selected, and four molecular signatures were analysed: THOR methylation status, TERT promotor mutation, telomere length, and TERT expression.
The lack of population-scale databases hampers research and diagnostics for medically relevant tandem repeats and repeat expansions. We attempt to fill this gap using our pathSTR web tool, which leverages long-read sequencing of large cohorts to determine repeat length and sequence composition in a healthy population. The current version includes 1040 individuals of The 1000 Genomes Project cohort sequenced on the Oxford Nanopore Technologies PromethION.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell line REH, with the t(12;21) translocation, is known to have a complex karyotype defined by a series of large-scale chromosomal rearrangements. Taken from a 15-yr-old at relapse, the cell line offers a practical model for the study of pediatric B-ALL. In recent years, short- and long-read DNA and RNA sequencing have emerged as a complement to karyotyping techniques in the resolution of structural variants in an oncological context.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRecent advancements have led to a rise, in the demand for surgical methods with robot-assisted procedures becoming increasingly popular for addressing the limitations of traditional laparoscopy. However, incorporating surgery involves making changes in the way patients are positioned and logistical planning, which can challenge conventional approaches to providing anesthesia care. Despite these obstacles robotic technology shows potential for bringing about improvements in therapy.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWell-differentiated liposarcoma (WDLS) displays amplification of genes on chromosome 12 (Chr12) in supernumerary ring or giant marker chromosomes. These structures have been suggested to develop through chromothripsis, followed by circularization and breakage-fusion-bridge (BFB) cycles. To test this hypothesis, we compared WDLSs with Chr12 amplification in rod-shaped chromosomes with WDLSs with rings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong-read genome sequencing (lrGS) is a promising method in genetic diagnostics. Here we investigate the potential of lrGS to detect a disease-associated chromosomal translocation between 17p13 and the 19 centromere. We constructed two sets of phased and non-phased de novo assemblies; (i) based on lrGS only and (ii) hybrid assemblies combining lrGS with optical mapping using lrGS reads with a median coverage of 34X.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Accurate and non-invasive diagnostic and prognostic markers are necessary to improve patient outcomes. MicroRNAs have been proposed as relatively non-invasive and pertinent biomarkers. miR-93 has been studied for its potential as a diagnostic and prognostic marker in prostate cancer (PCa), but findings from individual studies are inconsistent.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAutosomal-dominant ataxia with sensory and autonomic neuropathy is a highly specific combined phenotype that we described in two Swedish kindreds in 2014; its genetic cause had remained unknown. Here, we report the discovery of exonic GGC trinucleotide repeat expansions, encoding poly-glycine, in zinc finger homeobox 3 (ZFHX3) in these families. The expansions were identified in whole-genome datasets within genomic segments that all affected family members shared.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe development of complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) reference data for inclusion in publicly available population databases is currently underway, and the generation of more high-quality mitogenomes will only enhance the statistical power of this forensically useful locus. To characterize mitogenome variation in Sweden, the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) reads from the SweGen whole genome sequencing (WGS) dataset were analyzed. To overcome the interference from low-frequency nuclear mtDNA segments (NUMTs), a 10% variant frequency threshold was applied for the analysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: The aim of this data paper is to describe a collection of 33 genomic, transcriptomic and epigenomic sequencing datasets of the B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cell line REH. REH is one of the most frequently used cell lines for functional studies of pediatric ALL, and these data provide a multi-faceted characterization of its molecular features. The datasets described herein, generated with short- and long-read sequencing technologies, can both provide insights into the complex aberrant karyotype of REH, and be used as reference datasets for sequencing data quality assessment or for methods development.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStructural variations, including copy number variations (CNVs), affect around 20 million bases in the human genome and are common causes of rare conditions. CNVs are rarely investigated in complex disease research because most CNVs are not targeted on the genotyping arrays or the reference panels for genetic imputation. In this study, we characterize CNVs in a Swedish cohort (N = 1,021) using short-read whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and use long-read WGS for validation in a subcohort (N = 15), and explore their effect on 438 plasma proteins.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate cellular processes by interacting with RNAs or proteins. Transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling via Smad proteins regulates gene networks that control diverse biological processes, including cancer cell migration. LncRNAs have emerged as TGFβ targets, yet, their mechanism of action and biological role in cancer remain poorly understood.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFLong-read sequencing has dramatically increased our understanding of human genome variation. Here, we demonstrate that long-read technology can give new insights into the genomic architecture of individual cells. Clonally expanded CD8+ T-cells from a human donor were subjected to droplet-based multiple displacement amplification (dMDA) to generate long molecules with reduced bias.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFX-chromosome inactivation (XCI) analyses often assist in diagnostics of X-linked traits, however accurate assessment remains challenging with current methods. We developed a novel strategy using amplification-free Cas9 enrichment and Oxford nanopore technologies sequencing called XCI-ONT, to investigate and rigorously quantify XCI in human androgen receptor gene (AR) and human X-linked retinitis pigmentosa 2 gene (RP2). XCI-ONT measures methylation over 116 CpGs in AR and 58 CpGs in RP2, and separate parental X-chromosomes without PCR bias.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe Estrogen receptor β (ESR-β) gene is suggested to have a growth inhibitory role in prostate tissue and was proposed as a new therapeutic target for prostate cancer (PCa). Precedent studies have investigated the association between the ESR-β rs1256049 polymorphism and PCa but findings were inconsistent. Thus, this meta-analysis was performed to assess whether the ESR-β rs1256049 polymorphism is associated with an increased susceptibility to PCa.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRNA binding motif protein X-linked (RBMX) encodes the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein G (hnRNP G) that regulates splicing, sister chromatid cohesion and genome stability. RBMX knock down experiments in various model organisms highlight the gene's importance for brain development. Deletion of the RGG/RG motif in hnRNP G has previously been associated with Shashi syndrome, however involvement of other hnRNP G domains in intellectual disability remain unknown.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptors (VEGFR1 and VEGFR2) are the most important tissue factors involved in tumor growth and angiogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the promoter mutational status of VEGFA and the expression levels of VEGFA, VEGFR1, and VEGFR2 in bladder cancer (BC) tissues and to correlate the results with the clinical-pathological parameters of BC patients. A total of 70 BC patients were recruited at the Urology Department of the Mohammed V Military Training Hospital in Rabat, Morocco.
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