Enhanced Algorithms for Analysis and Design of Nucleic Acid Reaction Pathways

Nucleic acids provide a powerful platform for programming at the molecular level. This is possible because the free energy of nucleic acid structures is dominated by the local interactions of base pairing and base pair stacking. The nearest neighbor secondary structure model implied by these energetics has enabled development of a set of algorithms for calculating thermodynamic quantities of nucleic acid sequences. Molecular programmers and synthetic biologists continue to extend their reach to larger, more complicated nucleic acid complexes, reaction pathways, and systems. This necessitates a focus on new algorithm development and efficient implementations to enable analysis and design of such systems. Concerning analysis of nucleic acids, we collect seemingly diverse algorithms under a unified three-component dynamic programming framework consisting of: 1) recursions that specify the dependencies between subproblems and incorporate the details of the structural ensemble and the free energy model, 2) evaluation algebras that define the mathematical form of each subproblem, 3) operation orders that specify the computational trajectory through the dependency graph of subproblems. Changes to the set of recursions allows operation over the complex ensemble including coaxial and dangle stacking states, affecting all thermodynamic quantities. An updated operation order for structure sampling allows simultaneous generation of a set of structures sampled from the Boltzmann distribution in time that scales empirically sublinearly in the number of samples and leads to an order of magnitude or more speedup over repeated single-structure sampling. For the problem of sequence design for reaction pathway engineering, we introduce an optimization algorithm to minimize the multitstate test tube ensemble defect, which simultaneously designs for reactant, intermediate, and product states along the reaction pathway (positive design) and against crosstalk interactions (negative design). Each of these on-pathway or crosstalk states is represented as a target test tube ensemble containing arbitrary numbers of on-target complexes, each with a target secondary structure and target concentration, and arbitrary numbers of off-target complexes, each with vanishing target concentration. Our test tube specification formalism enables conversion of a reaction pathway specification into a set of target test tubes. Sequences are designed subject to a set of hard constraints allowing specification of properties such as sequence composition, sequence complementarity, prevention of unwanted sequence patterns, and inclusion of biological sequences. We then extend this algorithm with soft constraints, enhancing flexibility through new constraint types and reducing design cost by up to two orders of magnitude in the most highly constrained cases. These soft constraints enable multiobjective design of the multitstate test tube ensemble defect simultaneously with heuristics for avoiding kinetic traps and equalizing reaction rates to further aid reaction pathway engineering.</p

Telomere-to-telomere assembly of a complete human X chromosome.

After two decades of improvements, the current human reference genome (GRCh38) is the most accurate and complete vertebrate genome ever produced. However, no single chromosome has been finished end to end, and hundreds of unresolved gaps persist1,2. Here we present a human genome assembly that surpasses the continuity of GRCh382, along with a gapless, telomere-to-telomere assembly of a human chromosome. This was enabled by high-coverage, ultra-long-read nanopore sequencing of the complete hydatidiform mole CHM13 genome, combined with complementary technologies for quality improvement and validation. Focusing our efforts on the human X&nbsp;chromosome3, we reconstructed the centromeric satellite DNA array (approximately 3.1&nbsp;Mb) and closed the 29 remaining gaps in the current reference, including new sequences from the human pseudoautosomal regions and from cancer-testis ampliconic gene families (CT-X and GAGE). These sequences will be integrated into future human reference genome releases. In addition, the complete chromosome X, combined with the ultra-long nanopore data, allowed us to map methylation patterns across complex tandem repeats and satellite arrays. Our results demonstrate that finishing the entire human genome is now within reach, and the data presented here will facilitate ongoing efforts to complete the other human chromosomes

Telomere-to-telomere assembly of a complete human X chromosome

After two decades of improvements, the current human reference genome (GRCh38) is the most accurate and complete vertebrate genome ever produced. However, no single chromosome has been finished end to end, and hundreds of unresolved gaps persist1,2. Here we present a human genome assembly that surpasses the continuity of GRCh382, along with a gapless, telomere-to-telomere assembly of a human chromosome. This was enabled by high-coverage, ultra-long-read nanopore sequencing of the complete hydatidiform mole CHM13 genome, combined with complementary technologies for quality improvement and validation. Focusing our efforts on the human X&nbsp;chromosome3, we reconstructed the centromeric satellite DNA array (approximately 3.1&nbsp;Mb) and closed the 29 remaining gaps in the current reference, including new sequences from the human pseudoautosomal regions and from cancer-testis ampliconic gene families (CT-X and GAGE). These sequences will be integrated into future human reference genome releases. In addition, the complete chromosome X, combined with the ultra-long nanopore data, allowed us to map methylation patterns across complex tandem repeats and satellite arrays. Our results demonstrate that finishing the entire human genome is now within reach, and the data presented here will facilitate ongoing efforts to complete the other human chromosomes