1. CTCF/cohesin-binding sites are frequently mutated in cancer.
- Author
-
Katainen R, Dave K, Pitkänen E, Palin K, Kivioja T, Välimäki N, Gylfe AE, Ristolainen H, Hänninen UA, Cajuso T, Kondelin J, Tanskanen T, Mecklin JP, Järvinen H, Renkonen-Sinisalo L, Lepistö A, Kaasinen E, Kilpivaara O, Tuupanen S, Enge M, Taipale J, and Aaltonen LA
- Subjects
- Binding Sites, CCCTC-Binding Factor, Colorectal Neoplasms, Consensus Sequence, Genetic Association Studies, Genetic Predisposition to Disease, Humans, Point Mutation, Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid, Cohesins, Cell Cycle Proteins physiology, Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone physiology, Repressor Proteins physiology
- Abstract
Cohesin is present in almost all active enhancer regions, where it is associated with transcription factors. Cohesin frequently colocalizes with CTCF (CCCTC-binding factor), affecting genomic stability, expression and epigenetic homeostasis. Cohesin subunits are mutated in cancer, but CTCF/cohesin-binding sites (CBSs) in DNA have not been examined for mutations. Here we report frequent mutations at CBSs in cancers displaying a mutational signature where mutations in A•T base pairs predominate. Integration of whole-genome sequencing data from 213 colorectal cancer (CRC) samples and chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-exo) data identified frequent point mutations at CBSs. In contrast, CRCs showing an ultramutator phenotype caused by defects in the exonuclease domain of DNA polymerase ɛ (POLE) displayed significantly fewer mutations at and adjacent to CBSs. Analysis of public data showed that multiple cancer types accumulate CBS mutations. CBSs are a major mutational hotspot in the noncoding cancer genome.
- Published
- 2015
- Full Text
- View/download PDF