Widespread somatic L1 retrotransposition occurs early during gastrointestinal cancer evolution

Somatic L1 retrotransposition events have been shown to occur in epithelial cancers. Here, we attempted to determine how early somatic L1 insertions occurred during the development of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Using L1-targeted resequencing (L1-seq), we studied different stages of four colorectal cancers arising from colonic polyps, seven pancreatic carcinomas, as well as seven gastric cancers. Surprisingly, we found somatic L1 insertions not only in all cancer types and metastases but also in colonic adenomas, well-known cancer precursors. Some insertions were also present in low quantities in normal GI tissues, occasionally caught in the act of being clonally fixed in the adjacent tumors. Insertions in adenomas and cancers numbered in the hundreds, and many were present in multiple tumor sections, implying clonal distribution. Our results demonstrate that extensive somatic insertional mutagenesis occurs very early during the development of GI tumors, probably before dysplastic growth

Extensive somatic L1 retrotransposition in colorectal tumors

L1 retrotransposons comprise 17% of the human genome and are its only autonomous mobile elements. Although L1-induced insertional mutagenesis causes Mendelian disease, their mutagenic load in cancer has been elusive. Using L1-targeted resequencing of 16 colorectal tumor and matched normal DNAs, we found that certain cancers were excessively mutagenized by human-specific L1s, while no verifiable insertions were present in normal tissues. We confirmed de novo L1 insertions in malignancy by both validating and sequencing 69/107 tumor-specific insertions and retrieving both 5′ and 3′ junctions for 35. In contrast to germline polymorphic L1s, all insertions were severely 5′ truncated. Validated insertion numbers varied from up to 17 in some tumors to none in three others, and correlated with the age of the patients. Numerous genes with a role in tumorigenesis were targeted, including ODZ3, ROBO2, PTPRM, PCM1, and CDH11. Thus, somatic retrotransposition may play an etiologic role in colorectal cancer

High prevalence of germline STK11 mutations in Hungarian Peutz-Jeghers Syndrome patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a rare autosomal dominantly inherited disease characterized by gastrointestinal hamartomatous polyposis and mucocutaneous pigmentation. The genetic predisposition for PJS has been shown to be associated with germline mutations in the <it>STK11</it>/<it>LKB1 </it>tumor suppressor gene. The aim of the present study was to characterize Hungarian PJS patients with respect to germline mutation in <it>STK11</it>/<it>LKB1 </it>and their association to disease phenotype.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Mutation screening of 21 patients from 13 PJS families were performed using direct DNA sequencing and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA). Comparative semi-quantitative sequencing was applied to investigate the mRNA-level effects of nonsense and splice-affecting mutations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Thirteen different pathogenic mutations in <it>STK11</it>, including a high frequency of large genomic deletions (38%, 5/13), were identified in the 13 unrelated families studied. One of these deletions also affects two neighboring genes (<it>SBNO2 </it>and <it>GPX4</it>), located upstream of <it>STK11</it>, with a possible modifier effect. The majority of the point mutations (88%, 7/8) can be considered novel. Quantification of the <it>STK11 </it>transcript at the mRNA-level revealed that the expression of alleles carrying a nonsense or frameshift mutation was reduced to 30-70% of that of the wild type allele. Mutations affecting splice-sites around exon 2 displayed an mRNA processing pattern indicative of co-regulated splicing of exons 2 and 3.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A combination of sensitive techniques may assure a high (100%) <it>STK11 </it>mutation detection frequency in PJS families. Characterization of mutations at mRNA level may give a deeper insight into the molecular consequences of the pathogenic mutations than predictions made solely at the genomic level.</p

BRCA/Fanconi anemia pathway genes in hereditary predisposition to breast cancer

Abstract Two major genes are involved in hereditary predisposition to breast and ovarian cancer – BRCA1 and BRCA2. However, germline mutations in these tumor suppressors account for a maximum 20% of the familial breast cancer cases. A significant portion of the genes predisposing to this disease is unknown and therefore needs to be discovered. The aim of this study was to identify novel breast cancer susceptibility genes from the interweaving BRCA/Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway. Five candidate genes – MERIT40, ABRAXAS, BRIP1, CHK1, and FANCA – were screened for mutations by utilizing conformation-sensitive gel electrophoresis and sequencing, or with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification in blood DNA samples of Finnish familial breast cancer patients. Investigation of the MERIT40 gene revealed novel nucleotide changes, being the first report on mutation screening of this gene. None of the observed alterations, however, appeared to be disease related, suggesting that germline mutations in MERIT40 are rare or absent in breast cancer patients. A missense alteration (c.1082G>A, leading to Arg361Gln) was identified in ABRAXAS in 3 out of 125 Northern Finnish breast cancer families (2.4%), but not in any of the 867 healthy controls. The prevalence of the mutation between familial and control cases was statistically significantly different (p=0.002). ABRAXAS c.1082G>A appears to have pathological significance based on its exclusive occurrence in cancer cases, evolutionary conservation, disruption of a putative nuclear localization signal, reduced nuclear localization of the protein, and defective accumulation at DNA damage sites. The BRIP1 (FANCJ) and CHK1 genes were screened for large genomic rearrangements, but no abnormalities were detected, ruling out a significant contribution to breast cancer susceptibility in the Northern Finnish population. A novel large heterozygous deletion was identified in the FANCA gene in one out of 100 breast cancer families, removing the promoter and the first 12 exons. The deletion allele was not present in the tested controls, suggesting that it might contribute to breast cancer susceptibility. This is the first report on the association of a large-size germline deletion in a gene acting in the upstream part of the FA signaling pathway with familial breast cancer.Tiivistelmä BRCA1 ja BRCA2 ovat kaksi tärkeintä perinnöllisen rinta- ja munasarjasyövän alttiusgeeniä. Niissä esiintyvät ituradan muutokset selittävät kuitenkin vain noin 20 % familiaalisista rintasyöpätapauksista. Suurin osa alttiusgeeneistä on edelleen tunnistamatta ja näitä tekijöitä etsitään aktiivisesti. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on ollut tunnistaa uusia alttiustekijöitä toisiinsa läheisesti liittyviltä BRCA/Fanconin anemia (FA) signaalinsiirtoreiteiltä. Viisi kandidaattigeeniä - MERIT40, ABRAXAS, BRIP1, CHK1 ja FANCA – kartoitettiin mutaatioiden suhteen suomalaisissa rintasyöpäperheissä käyttämällä konformaatiosensitiivistä geelielektroforeesia ja sekvensointia, tai multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification- menetelmää. MERIT40-geenissä havaittiin useita aikaisemmin raportoimattomia nukleotidimuutoksia, mutta yhdenkään niistä ei havaittu liittyvän rintasyöpäalttiuteen. MERIT40-geenimuutosten mahdollista yhteyttä rintasyöpäalttiuteen ei ole tutkittu aikaisemmin. ABRAXAS-geenissä havaittiin missense-mutaatio (c.1082G>A, joka johtaa Arg361Gln aminohappokorvautumiseen) kolmessa pohjoissuomalaisessa rintasyöpäperheessä (3/125, 2.4 %). Muutosta ei havaittu terveissä kontrolleissa (N=867), ja ero mutaation esiintyvyydessä familiaalisten rintasyöpätapausten ja terveiden kontrollien välillä oli tilastollisesti merkitsevä (p=0.002). ABRAXAS c.1082G>A-muutos on todennäköisesti patogeeninen, sillä kyseinen aminohappopaikka on evolutiivisesti konservoitunut ja sijaitsee todennäköisellä tumaanohjaussignaalialueella. Funktionaaliset kokeet osoittivat, että mutatoitunut proteiinituote lokalisoitui villityypin proteiinia heikommin tumaan ja sen ohjautuminen DNA-vaurioalueille oli puutteellista. BRIP1- (FANCJ) ja CHK1-geeneistä etsittiin laajoja genomisia uudelleenjärjestelyjä, mutta niitä ei havaittu. Näin ollen kyseisillä muutoksilla ei ole merkittävää roolia perinnöllisessä rintasyöpäalttiudessa suomalaisessa väestössä. FANCA-geenissä havaittiin laaja heterotsygoottinen deleetio yhdessä tutkitusta 100 rintasyöpäperheestä. Deleetio poistaa geenin promoottorialueen lisäksi sen 12 ensimmäistä eksonia. Deleetioalleelia ei havaittu terveissä kontrolleissa, joten se mahdollisesti liittyy perinnölliseen rintasyöpäalttiuteen. Tutkimus on ensimmäinen, jossa raportoidaan laaja genominen deleetio FA-signaalinsiirtoreitin ylävirran geenissä familiaalisessa rintasyövässä

Widespread somatic L1 retrotransposition occurs early during gastrointestinal cancer evolution

Somatic L1 retrotransposition events have been shown to occur in epithelial cancers. Here, we attempted to determine how early somatic L1 insertions occurred during the development of gastrointestinal (GI) cancers. Using L1-targeted resequencing (L1-seq), we studied different stages of four colorectal cancers arising from colonic polyps, seven pancreatic carcinomas, as well as seven gastric cancers. Surprisingly, we found somatic L1 insertions not only in all cancer types and metastases but also in colonic adenomas, well-known cancer precursors. Some insertions were also present in low quantities in normal GI tissues, occasionally caught in the act of being clonally fixed in the adjacent tumors. Insertions in adenomas and cancers numbered in the hundreds, and many were present in multiple tumor sections, implying clonal distribution. Our results demonstrate that extensive somatic insertional mutagenesis occurs very early during the development of GI tumors, probably before dysplastic growth