Speeding up Simplification of Polygonal Curves using Nested Approximations

We develop a multiresolution approach to the problem of polygonal curve approximation. We show theoretically and experimentally that, if the simplification algorithm A used between any two successive levels of resolution satisfies some conditions, the multiresolution algorithm MR will have a complexity lower than the complexity of A. In particular, we show that if A has a O(N2/K) complexity (the complexity of a reduced search dynamic solution approach), where N and K are respectively the initial and the final number of segments, the complexity of MR is in O(N).We experimentally compare the outcomes of MR with those of the optimal "full search" dynamic programming solution and of classical merge and split approaches. The experimental evaluations confirm the theoretical derivations and show that the proposed approach evaluated on 2D coastal maps either shows a lower complexity or provides polygonal approximations closer to the initial curves.Comment: 12 pages + figure

Base resolution maps reveal the importance of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in a human glioblastoma

Aberrant genetic and epigenetic variations drive malignant transformation and are hallmarks of cancer. Using PCR-free sample preparation we achieved the first in-depth whole genome (hydroxyl)-methylcytosine, single-base-resolution maps from a glioblastoma tumour/margin sample of a patient. Our data provide new insights into how genetic and epigenetic variations are interrelated. In the tumour, global hypermethylation with a depletion of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine was observed. The majority of single nucleotide variations were identified as cytosine-to-thymine deamination products within CpG context, where cytosine was preferentially methylated in the margin. Notably, we observe that cells neighbouring tumour cells display epigenetic alterations characteristic of the tumour itself although genetically they appear “normal”. This shows the potential transfer of epigenetic information between cells that contributes to the intratumour heterogeneity of glioblastoma. Together, our reference (epi)-genome provides a human model system for future studies that aim to explore the link between genetic and epigenetic variations in cancer progression.Cancer Research UK 236 (Grant ID: C14303/A17197), Wellcome Trust (Grant ID: 099232/z/12/z

Glioblastoma adaptation traced through decline of an IDH1 clonal driver and macro-evolution of a double-minute chromosome

In a glioblastoma tumour with multi-region sequencing before and after recurrence, we find an IDH1 mutation that is clonal in the primary but lost at recurrence. We also describe the evolution of a double-minute chromosome encoding regulators of the PI3K signalling axis that dominates at recurrence, emphasizing the challenges of an evolving and dynamic oncogenic landscape for precision medicin

Whole-genome sequencing provides new insights into the clonal architecture of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal adenocarcinoma.

The molecular genetic relationship between esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and its precursor lesion, Barrett's esophagus, is poorly understood. Using whole-genome sequencing on 23 paired Barrett's esophagus and EAC samples, together with one in-depth Barrett's esophagus case study sampled over time and space, we have provided the following new insights: (i) Barrett's esophagus is polyclonal and highly mutated even in the absence of dysplasia; (ii) when cancer develops, copy number increases and heterogeneity persists such that the spectrum of mutations often shows surprisingly little overlap between EAC and adjacent Barrett's esophagus; and (iii) despite differences in specific coding mutations, the mutational context suggests a common causative insult underlying these two conditions. From a clinical perspective, the histopathological assessment of dysplasia appears to be a poor reflection of the molecular disarray within the Barrett's epithelium, and a molecular Cytosponge technique overcomes sampling bias and has the capacity to reflect the entire clonal architecture

Calcium-activated chloride current amplifies the response to urine in mouse vomeronasal sensory neurons

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is an odor detection system that mediates many pheromone-sensitive behaviors. Vomeronasal sensory neurons (VSNs), located in the VNO, are the initial site of interaction with odors/pheromones. However, how an individual VSN transduces chemical signals into electrical signals is still unresolved. Here, we show that a Ca2+-activated Cl− current contributes ∼80% of the response to urine in mouse VSNs. Using perforated patch clamp recordings with gramicidin, which leaves intracellular chloride undisrupted, we found that the urine-induced inward current (Vhold = −80 mV) was decreased in the presence of chloride channel blockers. This was confirmed using whole cell recordings and altering extracellular chloride to shift the reversal potential. Further, the urine-induced currents were eliminated when both extracellular Ca2+ and Na+ were removed. Using inside-out patches from dendritic tips, we recorded Ca2+-activated Cl− channel activity. Several candidates for this Ca2+-activated Cl− channel were detected in VNO by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction. In addition, a chloride cotransporter, Na+-K+-2Cl− isoform 1, was detected and found to mediate much of the chloride accumulation in VSNs. Collectively, our data demonstrate that chloride acts as a major amplifier for signal transduction in mouse VSNs. This amplification would increase the responsiveness to pheromones or odorants

Glioblastoma adaptation traced through decline of an IDH1 clonal driver and macro-evolution of a double-minute chromosome

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common malignant brain cancer occurring in adults, and is associated with dismal outcome and few therapeutic options. GBM has been shown to predominantly disrupt three core pathways through somatic aberrations, rendering it ideal for precision medicine approaches. Methods: We describe a 35-year-old female patient with recurrent GBM following surgical removal of the primary tumour, adjuvant treatment with temozolomide and a 3-year disease-free period. Rapid whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of three separate tumour regions at recurrence was carried out and interpreted relative to WGS of two regions of the primary tumour. Results: We found extensive mutational and copy-number heterogeneity within the primary tumour. We identified a TP53 mutation and two focal amplifications involving PDGFRA, KIT and CDK4, on chromosomes 4 and 12. A clonal IDH1 R132H mutation in the primary, a known GBM driver event, was detectable at only very low frequency in the recurrent tumour. After sub-clonal diversification, evidence was found for a whole-genome doubling event and a translocation between the amplified regions of PDGFRA, KIT and CDK4, encoded within a double-minute chromosome also incorporating miR26a-2. The WGS analysis uncovered progressive evolution of the double-minute chromosome converging on the KIT/PDGFRA/PI3K/mTOR axis, superseding the IDH1 mutation in dominance in a mutually exclusive manner at recurrence, consequently the patient was treated with imatinib. Despite rapid sequencing and cancer genome-guided therapy against amplified oncogenes, the disease progressed, and the patient died shortly after. Conclusion: This case sheds light on the dynamic evolution of a GBM tumour, defining the origins of the lethal sub-clone, the macro-evolutionary genomic events dominating the disease at recurrence and the loss of a clonal driver. Even in the era of rapid WGS analysis, cases such as this illustrate the significant hurdles for precision medicine success

Whole-genome sequencing can identify clinically relevant variants from a single sub-punch of a dried blood spot specimen

The collection of dried blood spots (DBS) facilitates newborn screening for a variety of rare, but very serious conditions in healthcare systems around the world. Sub-punches of varying sizes (1.5–6 mm) can be taken from DBS specimens to use as inputs for a range of biochemical assays. Advances in DNA sequencing workflows allow whole-genome sequencing (WGS) libraries to be generated directly from inputs such as peripheral blood, saliva, and DBS. We compared WGS metrics obtained from libraries generated directly from DBS to those generated from DNA extracted from peripheral blood, the standard input for this type of assay. We explored the flexibility of DBS as an input for WGS by altering the punch number and size as inputs to the assay. We showed that WGS libraries can be successfully generated from a variety of DBS inputs, including a single 3 mm or 6 mm diameter punch, with equivalent data quality observed across a number of key metrics of importance in the detection of gene variants. We observed no difference in the performance of DBS and peripheral-blood-extracted DNA in the detection of likely pathogenic gene variants in samples taken from individuals with cystic fibrosis or phenylketonuria. WGS can be performed directly from DBS and is a powerful method for the rapid discovery of clinically relevant, disease-causing gene variants

Exact distribution of a pattern in a set of random sequences generated by a Markov source: applications to biological data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In bioinformatics it is common to search for a pattern of interest in a potentially large set of rather short sequences (upstream gene regions, proteins, exons, etc.). Although many methodological approaches allow practitioners to compute the distribution of a pattern count in a random sequence generated by a Markov source, no specific developments have taken into account the counting of occurrences in a set of independent sequences. We aim to address this problem by deriving efficient approaches and algorithms to perform these computations both for low and high complexity patterns in the framework of homogeneous or heterogeneous Markov models.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The latest advances in the field allowed us to use a technique of optimal Markov chain embedding based on deterministic finite automata to introduce three innovative algorithms. Algorithm 1 is the only one able to deal with heterogeneous models. It also permits to avoid any product of convolution of the pattern distribution in individual sequences. When working with homogeneous models, Algorithm 2 yields a dramatic reduction in the complexity by taking advantage of previous computations to obtain moment generating functions efficiently. In the particular case of low or moderate complexity patterns, Algorithm 3 exploits power computation and binary decomposition to further reduce the time complexity to a logarithmic scale. All these algorithms and their relative interest in comparison with existing ones were then tested and discussed on a toy-example and three biological data sets: structural patterns in protein loop structures, PROSITE signatures in a bacterial proteome, and transcription factors in upstream gene regions. On these data sets, we also compared our exact approaches to the tempting approximation that consists in concatenating the sequences in the data set into a single sequence.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our algorithms prove to be effective and able to handle real data sets with multiple sequences, as well as biological patterns of interest, even when the latter display a high complexity (PROSITE signatures for example). In addition, these exact algorithms allow us to avoid the edge effect observed under the single sequence approximation, which leads to erroneous results, especially when the marginal distribution of the model displays a slow convergence toward the stationary distribution. We end up with a discussion on our method and on its potential improvements.</p

Virulence Regulator EspR of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Is a Nucleoid-Associated Protein

The principal virulence determinant of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the ESX-1 protein secretion system, is positively controlled at the transcriptional level by EspR. Depletion of EspR reportedly affects a small number of genes, both positively or negatively, including a key ESX-1 component, the espACD operon. EspR is also thought to be an ESX-1 substrate. Using EspR-specific antibodies in ChIP-Seq experiments (chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by ultra-high throughput DNA sequencing) we show that EspR binds to at least 165 loci on the Mtb genome. Included in the EspR regulon are genes encoding not only EspA, but also EspR itself, the ESX-2 and ESX-5 systems, a host of diverse cell wall functions, such as production of the complex lipid PDIM (phenolthiocerol dimycocerosate) and the PE/PPE cell-surface proteins. EspR binding sites are not restricted to promoter regions and can be clustered. This suggests that rather than functioning as a classical regulatory protein EspR acts globally as a nucleoid-associated protein capable of long-range interactions consistent with a recently established structural model. EspR expression was shown to be growth phase-dependent, peaking in the stationary phase. Overexpression in Mtb strain H37Rv revealed that EspR influences target gene expression both positively or negatively leading to growth arrest. At no stage was EspR secreted into the culture filtrate. Thus, rather than serving as a specific activator of a virulence locus, EspR is a novel nucleoid-associated protein, with both architectural and regulatory roles, that impacts cell wall functions and pathogenesis through multiple genes