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Purpose: Although many genomic alterations have been observed in lung cancer, their clinicopathologic significance has not been thoroughly investigated. This study screened the genomic aberrations across the whole genome of non–small cell lung cancer cells with high-resolution and investigated their clinicopathologic implications.Experimental Design: One-megabase resolution array comparative genomic hybridization was applied to 29 squamous cell carcinomas and 21 adenocarcinomas of the lung. Tumor and normal tissues were microdissected and the extracted DNA was used directly for hybridization without genomic amplification. The recurrent genomic alterations were analyzed for their association with the clinicopathologic features of lung cancer.Results: Overall, 36 amplicons, 3 homozygous deletions, and 17 minimally altered regions common to many lung cancers were identified. Among them, genomic changes on 13q21, 1p32, Xq, and Yp were found to be significantly associated with clinical features such as age, stage, and disease recurrence. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that genomic changes on 10p, 16q, 9p, 13q, 6p21, and 19q13 were associated with poor survival. Multivariate analysis showed that alterations on 6p21, 7p, 9q, and 9p remained as independent predictors of poor outcome. In addition, significant correlations were observed for three pairs of minimally altered regions (19q13 and 6p21, 19p13 and 19q13, and 8p12 and 8q11), which indicated their possible collaborative roles.Conclusions: These results show that our approach is robust for high-resolution mapping of genomic alterations. The novel genomic alterations identified in this study, along with their clinicopathologic implications, would be useful to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of lung cancer and to identify reliable biomarkers for clinical application.

Supplementary Tables S1-S4 from Genome-Wide Screening of Genomic Alterations and Their Clinicopathologic Implications in Non–Small Cell Lung Cancers

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is an increasingly prevalent and currently incurable neurodegenerative disorder linked to the accumulation of α-synuclein (αS) protein aggregates in the nervous system. While αS binding to membranes in its monomeric state is correlated to its physiological role, αS oligomerisation and subsequent aberrant interactions with lipid bilayers have emerged as key steps in PD-associated neurotoxicity. However, little is known of the mechanisms that govern the interactions of oligomeric αS (OαS) with lipid membranes and the factors that modulate such interactions. This is in large part due to experimental challenges underlying studies of OαS-membrane interactions due to their dynamic and transient nature. Here, we address this challenge by using a suite of microfluidics-based assays that enable in-solution quantification of OαS-membrane interactions. We find that OαS bind more strongly to highly curved, rather than flat, lipid membranes. By comparing the membrane-binding properties of OαS and monomeric αS (MαS), we further demonstrate that OαS bind to membranes with up to 150-fold higher affinity than their monomeric counterparts. Moreover, OαS compete with and displace bound MαS from the membrane surface, suggesting that disruption to the functional binding of MαS to membranes may provide an additional toxicity mechanism in PD. These findings present a unique binding mechanism of oligomers to model membranes, which can potentially be targeted to inhibit the progression of PD.Abstract Figure

The humoral immune response plays a key role in suppressing the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2. The molecular determinants underlying the neutralization of the virus remain, however, incompletely understood. Here, we show that the ability of antibodies to disrupt the binding of the viral spike protein to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor on the cell, the key molecular event initiating SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells, is controlled by the affinity of these antibodies to the viral antigen. By using microfluidic antibody-affinity profiling, we were able to quantify the serum-antibody mediated inhibition of ACE2–spike binding in two SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individuals. Measurements to determine the affinity, concentration, and neutralization potential of antibodies were performed directly in human serum. Using this approach, we demonstrate that the level of inhibition in both samples can be quantitatively described using the dissociation constants (KD) of the binary interactions between the ACE2 receptor and the spike protein as well as the spike protein and the neutralizing antibody. These experiments represent a new type of in-solution receptor binding competition assay, which has further potential applications, ranging from decisions on donor selection for convalescent plasma therapy, to identification of lead candidates in therapeutic antibody development, and vaccine development.

Understanding the factors that contribute to antibody escape of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants is key for the development of drugs and vaccines that provide broad protection against a variety of virus variants. Using microfluidic diffusional sizing, we determined the dissociation constant (KD) for the interaction between receptor binding domains (RBDs) of SARS-CoV-2 in its original version (WT) as well as alpha and beta variants with the host-cell receptor angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). For RBD-alpha, the ACE2-binding affinity was increased by a factor of ten when compared with RBD-WT, while ACE2-binding of RBD-beta was largely unaffected. However, when challenged with a neutralizing antibody that binds to both RBD-WT and RBD-alpha with low nanomolar KD values, RBD-beta displayed no binding, suggesting a substantial epitope change. In SARS-CoV-2 convalescent sera, RBD-binding antibodies showed low nanomolar affinities to both wild-type and variant RBD proteins—strikingly, the concentration of antibodies binding to RBD-beta was half that of RBD-WT and RBD-alpha, again indicating considerable epitope changes in the beta variant. Our data therefore suggests that one factor contributing to the higher transmissibility and antibody evasion of SARS-CoV-2 alpha and beta is a larger fraction of viruses that can form a complex with ACE2. However, the two variants employ different mechanisms to achieve this goal. While SARS-CoV-2 alpha RBD binds with greater affinity to ACE2 and is thus more difficult to displace from the receptor by neutralizing antibodies, RBD-beta is less accessible to antibodies due to epitope changes which increases the chances of ACE2-binding and infection.

Recent efforts in understanding the course and severity of SARS-CoV-2 infections have highlighted both potential beneficial as well as detrimental effects of cross-reactive antibodies derived from memory immunity. Specifically, due to a significant degree of sequence similarity between SARS-CoV-2 and other members of the coronavirus family, memory B-cells that emerged from previous infections with endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs) could be re-activated upon encountering the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2, thus prompting the production of cross-reactive antibodies. Understanding the affinity and concentration of these potentially cross-reactive antibodies to the new SARS-CoV-2 antigens is therefore particularly important when assessing both existing immunity against common HCoVs and adverse effects like antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) in COVID-19. However, these two fundamental parameters cannot easily be deconvoluted by surface-based assays like enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) which are routinely used to assess cross-reactivity.Here, we have used microfluidic antibody-affinity profiling (MAAP) to quantitatively evaluate the humoral immune response in COVID-19 convalescent patients by determining both antibody affinity and concentration against spike antigens of SARS-CoV-2 directly in nine convalescent COVID-19 patient and three pre-pandemic sera that were seropositive for common HCoVs. All 12 sera contained low concentrations of high affinity antibodies against spike antigens of HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-HKU1, indicative of past exposure to these pathogens, while the affinity against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was lower. These results suggest that cross-reactivity as a consequence of memory re-activation upon an acute SARS-CoV-2 infection may not be a significant factor in generating immunity against SARS-CoV-2.

Single cell transcriptome profiling has emerged as a breakthrough technology for the high-resolution understanding of complex cellular systems. Here we report a flexible, cost-effective and user-friendly droplet-based microfluidics system, called the Nadia Instrument, that can allow 3′ mRNA capture of ~ 50,000 single cells or individual nuclei in a single run. The precise pressure-based system demonstrates highly reproducible droplet size, low doublet rates and high mRNA capture efficiencies that compare favorably in the field. Moreover, when combined with the Nadia Innovate, the system can be transformed into an adaptable setup that enables use of different buffers and barcoded bead configurations to facilitate diverse applications. Finally, by 3′ mRNA profiling asynchronous human and mouse cells at different phases of the cell cycle, we demonstrate the system's ability to readily distinguish distinct cell populations and infer underlying transcriptional regulatory networks. Notably this provided supportive evidence for multiple transcription factors that had little or no known link to the cell cycle (e.g. DRAP1, ZKSCAN1 and CEBPZ). In summary, the Nadia platform represents a promising and flexible technology for future transcriptomic studies, and other related applications, at cell resolution.

The humoral immune response plays a key role in suppressing the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2. The molecular determinants underlying the neutralization of the virus remain, however, incompletely understood. Here, we show that the ability of antibodies to disrupt the binding of the viral spike protein to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor on the cell, the key molecular event initiating SARS-CoV-2 entry into host cells, is controlled by the affinity of these antibodies to the viral antigen. By using microfluidic antibody-affinity profiling, we were able to quantify the serum-antibody mediated inhibition of ACE2–spike binding in two SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individuals. Measurements to determine the affinity, concentration, and neutralization potential of antibodies were performed directly in human serum. Using this approach, we demonstrate that the level of inhibition in both samples can be quantitatively described using the binding energies of the binary interactions between the ACE2 receptor and the spike protein, and the spike protein and the neutralizing antibody. These experiments represent a new type of in-solution receptor binding competition assay, which has further potential areas of application ranging from decisions on donor selection for convalescent plasma therapy, to identification of lead candidates in therapeutic antibody development, and vaccine development.

The clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections can range from asymptomatic to lethal, and is thought to be crucially shaped by the quality of the immune response which includes antibody titres and affinity for their targets. Using Microfluidic Antibody Affinity Profiling (MAAP), we determined the aggregate affinities and concentrations of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in plasma samples of 42 seropositive individuals, 23 of whom were confirmed to be SARS-CoV-2-positive by PCR testing. We found that dissociation constants (Kd) of anti-RBD antibodies spanned more than two orders of magnitude from 80 pM to 25 nM, despite having similar antibody concentrations. The tested individuals showed progressively higher antibody concentrations but constant Kd values, suggesting that affinities did not mature over time. 33 sera showed affinities higher than that of the CoV2 spike for its ACE2 receptor. Accordingly, addition of seropositive plasma to pre-formed spike-ACE2 receptor complexes led to their dissociation. Finally, we observed that the RBD of HKU1, OC43, and SARS-CoV coronaviruses, but not unrelated control proteins, were able to compete substantially with the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 in solution. Therefore, the affinity of total plasma immunoglobulins to SARS-CoV-2 is an indicator of the quality of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2, and may help select the most efficacious samples for therapeutic plasmapheresis.

SummarySingle cell transcriptome profiling has emerged as a breakthrough technology for the high-resolution understanding of complex cellular systems. Here we report a flexible, cost-effective and user-friendly droplet-based microfluidics system, called the Nadia Instrument, that can allow 3’ mRNA capture of ∼50,000 single cells or individual nuclei in a single run. The precise pressure-based system demonstrates highly reproducible droplet size, low doublet rates and high mRNA capture efficiencies that compare favorably in the field. Moreover, when combined with the Nadia Innovate, the system can be transformed into an adaptable setup that enables use of different buffers and barcoded bead configurations to facilitate diverse applications. Finally, by 3’ mRNA profiling asynchronous human and mouse cells at different phases of the cell cycle, we demonstrate the system’s ability to readily distinguish distinct cell populations and infer underlying transcriptional regulatory networks. Notably this identified multiple transcription factors that had little or no known link to the cell cycle (e.g. DRAP1, ZKSCAN1 and CEBPZ). In summary, the Nadia platform represents a promising and flexible technology for future transcriptomic studies, and other related applications, at cell resolution.

Funder: Herchel Smith Fund, Funder: St John’s College Cambridge, Funder: Centre for Misfolding Diseases, Cambridge, Funder: Swiss FCS and the Forschungskredit of the University of Zurich, Funder: Frances and Augustus Newman Foundation, Funder: BBRSC, Funder: NOMIS Foundation, The clinical outcome of SARS-CoV-2 infections, which can range from asymptomatic to lethal, is crucially shaped by the concentration of antiviral antibodies and by their affinity to their targets. However, the affinity of polyclonal antibody responses in plasma is difficult to measure. Here we used microfluidic antibody affinity profiling (MAAP) to determine the aggregate affinities and concentrations of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in plasma samples of 42 seropositive individuals, 19 of which were healthy donors, 20 displayed mild symptoms, and 3 were critically ill. We found that dissociation constants, K d, of anti-receptor-binding domain antibodies spanned 2.5 orders of magnitude from sub-nanomolar to 43 nM. Using MAAP we found that antibodies of seropositive individuals induced the dissociation of pre-formed spike-ACE2 receptor complexes, which indicates that MAAP can be adapted as a complementary receptor competition assay. By comparison with cytopathic effect-based neutralisation assays, we show that MAAP can reliably predict the cellular neutralisation ability of sera, which may be an important consideration when selecting the most effective samples for therapeutic plasmapheresis and tracking the success of vaccinations.

The use of epigenetic differences between maternal whole blood and fetal (placental) DNA is one of the main areas of interest for the development of noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidies. However, the lack of detailed chromosome-wide identification of differentially methylated sites has limited the application of this approach. In this study, we describe an analysis of chromosome-wide methylation status using methylation DNA immunoprecipitation coupled with high-resolution tiling oligonucleotide array analysis specific for chromosomes 21, 18, 13, X, and Y using female whole blood and placental DNA. We identified more than 2000 regions of differential methylation between female whole blood and placental DNA on each of the chromosomes tested. A subset of the differentially methylated regions identified was validated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, correlation of these regions with CpG islands, genes, and promoter regions was investigated. Between 56 to 83% of the regions were located within nongenic regions whereas only 1 to 11% of the regions overlapped with CpG islands; of these, up to 65% were found in promoter regions. In summary, we identified a large number of previously unreported fetal epigenetic molecular markers that have the potential to be developed into targets for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21 and other common aneuploidies. In addition, we demonstrated the effectiveness of the methylation DNA immunoprecipitation approach in the enrichment of hypermethylated fetal DNA.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common human malignancies and responsible for ~5% of all cancer-related deaths in the world.1 Given that the overall HCC incidence is still rising and prognosis of the disease remains poor, it is important to develop effective diagnostic and therapeutic modalities based on sound biological insights into hepatocarcinogenesis.2,3 The copy number alterations observed in human solid tumors are known to contribute to the tumorigenesis by affecting the activities of cancer-related genes in the altered chromosomal regions.4 Thus, genome-wide mapping of copy number alterations in cancer can facilitate the identification of cancer-related genes, which will improve the understanding of tumorigenesis. Using conventional cytogenetic tools such as comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), copy number gains on 1q, 8q and 20q, along with losses on 1p, 4q, 8p, 13q, 16q and 17p have been previously identified in HCC.5-7 However, the resolution of conventional cytogenetic analysis is insufficient to precisely identify submicroscopic changes. Recently introduced array-CGH, the combination of conventional CGH and microarray technology, enabled high-resolution screening of genome-wide copy number alterations containing potential cancer-related genes.8,9 Through array-CGH analysis, novel oncogenes such as JAB1 or differentiation-specific regions have been identified in HCC.5,10 Also etiology-dependent copy number alterations and genes relevant to hepatocarcinogenesis were suggested in HCC.11 But, it is still difficult to identify the biologically relevant changes and their functional significance in a systematic manner due to the extensive and complex nature of chromosomal alterations. We hypothesized that recurrent copy number changes common to many HCC cases may contain essential genes for hepatocarcinogenesis. Using this strategy, recurrently altered regions (RARs) were defined in 76 primary HCCs using whole-genome array CGH analysis, and the associations between RARs and clinicopathologic features were examined. Also, we functionally categorized the genes located in the RARs.

Meiotic recombination between highly similar duplicated sequences (nonallelic homologous recombination, NAHR) generates deletions, duplications, inversions and translocations, and it is responsible for genetic diseases known as 'genomic disorders', most of which are caused by altered copy number of dosage-sensitive genes. NAHR hot spots have been identified within some duplicated sequences. We have developed sperm-based assays to measure the de novo rate of reciprocal deletions and duplications at four NAHR hot spots. We used these assays to dissect the relative rates of NAHR between different pairs of duplicated sequences. We show that (i) these NAHR hot spots are specific to meiosis, (ii) deletions are generated at a higher rate than their reciprocal duplications in the male germline and (iii) some of these genomic disorders are likely to have been underascertained clinically, most notably that resulting from the duplication of 7q11, the reciprocal of the deletion causing Williams-Beuren syndrome.

Microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization has become a widespread method for the analysis of DNA copy number changes across the human genome. Initial methods for microarray construction using large-insert clones required the preparation of DNA from large-scale cultures. This rapidly became an expensive and time-consuming process when expanded to the number of clones needed for higher resolution arrays. To overcome this problem, several PCR-based strategies have been developed to enable array construction from small amounts of cloned DNA. Here, we describe the construction of microarrays composed of human-specific large-insert clones (40–200 kb) using a specific degenerate oligonucleotide PCR strategy. In addition, we also describe array hybridization using manual and automated procedures and methods for array analysis. The technology and protocols described in this article can easily be adapted for other species dependent on the availability of clone libraries. According to our protocols, the procedure will take approximately 3 days from labeling the DNA to scanning the hybridized slides.

G- and R-bands of metaphase chromosomes are characterized by profound differences in gene density, CG content, replication timing, and chromatin compaction. The preferential localization of gene-dense, transcriptionally active, and early replicating chromatin in the nuclear interior and of gene-poor, later replicating chromatin at the nuclear envelope has been demonstrated to be evolutionary-conserved in various cell types. Yet, the impact of different local chromatin features on the radial nuclear arrangement of chromatin is still not well understood. In particular, it is not known whether radial chromatin positioning is preferentially shaped by local gene density per se or by other related parameters such as replication timing or transcriptional activity. The interdependence of these distinct chromatin features on the linear deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) sequence precludes a simple dissection of these parameters with respect to their importance for the reorganization of the linear DNA organization into the distinct radial chromatin arrangements observed in the nuclear space. To analyze this problem, we generated probe sets of pooled bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones from HSA 11, 12, 18, and 19 representing R/G-band-assigned chromatin, segments with different gene density and gene loci with different expression levels. Using multicolor 3D flourescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and 3D image analysis, we determined their localization in the nucleus and their positions within or outside the corresponding chromosome territory (CT). For each BAC data on local gene density within 2- and 10-Mb windows, as well as GC (guanine and cytosine) content, replication timing and expression levels were determined. A correlation analysis of these parameters with nuclear positioning revealed regional gene density as the decisive parameter determining the radial positioning of chromatin in the nucleus in contrast to band assignment, replication timing, and transcriptional activity. We demonstrate a polarized distribution of gene-dense vs gene-poor chromatin within CTs with respect to the nuclear border. Whereas we confirm previous reports that a particular gene-dense and transcriptionally highly active region of about 2 Mb on 11p15.5 often loops out from the territory surface, gene-dense and highly expressed sequences were not generally found preferentially at the CT surface as previously suggested.

This study describes a new tool for accurate and reliable high-throughput detection of copy number variation in the human genome. We have constructed a large-insert clone DNA microarray covering the entire human genome in tiling path resolution that we have used to identify copy number variation in human populations. Crucial to this study has been the development of a robust array platform and analytic process for the automated identification of copy number variants (CNVs). The array consists of 26,574 clones covering 93.7% of euchromatic regions. Clones were selected primarily from the published “Golden Path,” and mapping was confirmed by fingerprinting and BAC-end sequencing. Array performance was extensively tested by a series of validation assays. These included determining the hybridization characteristics of each individual clone on the array by chromosome-specific add-in experiments. Estimation of data reproducibility and false-positive/negative rates was carried out using self–self hybridizations, replicate experiments, and independent validations of CNVs. Based on these studies, we developed a variance-based automatic copy number detection analysis process (CNVfinder) and have demonstrated its robustness by comparison with the SW-ARRAY method.

Cancers with chromosomal instability (CIN) are held to be aneuploid/polyploid with multiple large-scale gains/deletions, but the processes underlying CIN are unclear and different types of CIN might exist. We investigated colorectal cancer cell lines using array-comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) for copy number changes and single-copy number polymorphism (SNP) microarrays for allelic loss (LOH). Many array-based CGH changes were not found by LOH because they did not cause true reduction-to-homozygosity. Conversely, many regions of SNP-LOH occurred in the absence of copy number change, comprising an average per cell line of 2 chromosomes with complete LOH; 1-2 terminal regions of LOH (mitotic recombination); and 1 interstitial region of LOH. SNP-LOH detected many novel changes, representing possible locations of uncharacterized tumor suppressor loci. Microsatellite unstable (MSI+) lines infrequently showed gains/deletions or whole-chromosome LOH, but their near-diploid karyotypes concealed mitotic recombination frequencies similar to those of MSI− lines. We analyzed p53 and chromosome 18q (SMAD4) in detail, including mutation screening. Almost all MSI− lines showed LOH and/or deletion of p53 and 18q; some near-triploid lines had acquired three independent changes at these loci. We found consistent results in primary colorectal cancers. Overall, the distributions of mitotic recombination and whole-chromosome LOH in the MSI− cell lines differed significantly from random, with some lines having much higher than expected levels of these changes. Moreover, lines with more LOH changes had significantly fewer copy number changes. These data suggest that CIN is not synonymous with copy number change and some cancers have a specific tendency to whole-chromosome deletion and regain or to mitotic recombination. (Cancer Res 2006; 66(7): 3471-9)

PurposeMedulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. Despite multimodal aggressive treatment, nearly half of the patients die as a result of this tumor. Identification of molecular markers for prognosis and development of novel pathogenesis-based therapies depends crucially on a better understanding of medulloblastoma pathomechanisms.Patients and MethodsWe performed genome-wide analysis of DNA copy number imbalances in 47 medulloblastomas using comparative genomic hybridization to large insert DNA microarrays (matrix-CGH). The expression of selected candidate genes identified by matrix-CGH was analyzed immunohistochemically on tissue microarrays representing medulloblastomas from 189 clinically well-documented patients. To identify novel prognostic markers, genomic findings and protein expression data were correlated to patient survival.ResultsMatrix-CGH analysis revealed frequent DNA copy number alterations of several novel candidate regions. Among these, gains at 17q23.2-qter (P < .01) and losses at 17p13.1 to 17p13.3 (P = .04) were significantly correlated to poor prognosis. Within 17q23.2-qter and 7q21.2, two of the most frequently gained chromosomal regions, confined amplicons were identified that contained the PPM1D and CDK6 genes, respectively. Immunohistochemistry revealed strong expression of PPM1D in 148 (88%) of 168 and CDK6 in 50 (30%) of 169 medulloblastomas. Overexpression of CDK6 correlated significantly with poor prognosis (P < .01) and represented an independent prognostic marker of overall survival on multivariate analysis (P = .02).ConclusionWe identified CDK6 as a novel molecular marker that can be determined by immunohistochemistry on routinely processed tissue specimens and may facilitate the prognostic assessment of medulloblastoma patients. Furthermore, increased protein-levels of PPM1D and CDK6 may link the TP53 and RB1 tumor suppressor pathways to medulloblastoma pathomechanisms.

Purpose: Although many genomic alterations have been observed in lung cancer, their clinicopathologic significance has not been thoroughly investigated. This study screened the genomic aberrations across the whole genome of non–small cell lung cancer cells with high-resolution and investigated their clinicopathologic implications. Experimental Design: One-megabase resolution array comparative genomic hybridization was applied to 29 squamous cell carcinomas and 21 adenocarcinomas of the lung. Tumor and normal tissues were microdissected and the extracted DNA was used directly for hybridization without genomic amplification. The recurrent genomic alterations were analyzed for their association with the clinicopathologic features of lung cancer. Results: Overall, 36 amplicons, 3 homozygous deletions, and 17 minimally altered regions common to many lung cancers were identified. Among them, genomic changes on 13q21, 1p32, Xq, and Yp were found to be significantly associated with clinical features such as age, stage, and disease recurrence. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis revealed that genomic changes on 10p, 16q, 9p, 13q, 6p21, and 19q13 were associated with poor survival. Multivariate analysis showed that alterations on 6p21, 7p, 9q, and 9p remained as independent predictors of poor outcome. In addition, significant correlations were observed for three pairs of minimally altered regions (19q13 and 6p21, 19p13 and 19q13, and 8p12 and 8q11), which indicated their possible collaborative roles. Conclusions: These results show that our approach is robust for high-resolution mapping of genomic alterations. The novel genomic alterations identified in this study, along with their clinicopathologic implications, would be useful to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of lung cancer and to identify reliable biomarkers for clinical application.

Deletions of chromosome 6 are a common abnormality in diverse human malignancies including astrocytic tumours, suggesting the presence of tumour suppressor genes (TSG). In order to help identify candidate TSGs, we have constructed a chromosome 6 tile path microarray. The array contains 1,780 clones (778 P1-derived artificial chromosome and 1,002 bacterial artificial chromosome) that cover 98.3% of the published chromosome 6 sequences. A total of 104 adult astrocytic tumours (10 diffuse astrocytomas, 30 anaplastic astrocytomas (AA), 64 glioblastomas (GB)) were analysed using this array. Single copy number change was successfully detected and the result was in general concordant with a microsatellite analysis. The pattern of copy number change was complex with multiple interstitial deletions/gains. However, a predominance of telomeric 6q deletions was seen. Two small common and overlapping regions of deletion at 6q26 were identified. One was 1,002 kb in size and contained PACRG and QKI, while the second was 199 kb and harbours a single gene, ARID1B. The data show that the chromosome 6 tile path array is useful in mapping copy number changes with high resolution and accuracy. We confirmed the high frequency of chromosome 6 deletions in AA and GB, and identified two novel commonly deleted regions that may harbour TSGs.

Background: Karyotype analysis has been the standard method for prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis since the 1970s. Although highly reliable, the major limitation remains the requirement for cell culture, resulting in a delay of as much as 14 days to obtaining test results. Fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) and quantitative fluorescent PCR (QF-PCR) rapidly detect common chromosomal abnormalities but do not provide a genome wide screen for unexpected imbalances. Array comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) has the potential to combine the speed of DNA analysis with a large capacity to scan for genomic abnormalities. We have developed a genomic microarray of approximately 600 large insert clones designed to detect aneuploidy, known microdeletion syndromes, and large unbalanced chromosomal rearrangements. Methods: This array was tested alongside an array with an approximate resolution of 1 Mb in a blind study of 30 cultured prenatal and postnatal samples with microscopically confirmed unbalanced rearrangements. Results: At 1 Mb resolution, 22/30 rearrangements were identified, whereas 29/30 aberrations were detected using the custom designed array, owing to the inclusion of specifically chosen clones to give increased resolution at genomic loci clinically implicated in known microdeletion syndromes. Both arrays failed to identify a triploid karyotype. Thirty normal control samples produced no false positive results. Conclusions: Analysis of 30 uncultured prenatal samples showed that array CGH is capable of detecting aneuploidy in DNA isolated from as little as 1 ml of uncultured amniotic fluid; 29/30 samples were correctly diagnosed, the exception being another case of triploidy. These studies demonstrate the potential for array CGH to replace conventional cytogenetics in the great majority of prenatal diagnosis cases.

Microscopic karyotype analysis of cultured cells has been regarded as the gold standard for prenatal diagnosis for over 30 years. Since the first application of this technique to prenatal testing in the early 1970's, this procedure has proved to be highly reliable for identifying chromosome copy number abnormalities (aneuploidy) and large structural rearrangements in foetal cells obtained invasively by either amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling (CVS). Recognising the need for more rapid testing methods which do not require cell culture, fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) and quantitative fluorescence PCR (QF-PCR) have been introduced to this field in order to answer specific diagnostic questions. However, both FISH and QF-PCR suffer the disadvantage in that they are difficult to scale to a comprehensive, genome-wide screen. Array-comparative genomic hybridisation (array-CGH) in contrast is a comprehensive, genome-wide screening strategy for detecting DNA copy number imbalances which can be rapid, less labour-intensive than karyotype banding analysis and is highly amenable to automation. Array-CGH has the potential to be used for prenatal diagnosis and may address many of the limitations of both conventional microscopic cytogenetic analyses and the more recently employed rapid-screening strategies.

Background: The underlying causes of mental retardation remain unknown in about half the cases. Recent array-CGH studies demonstrated cryptic imbalances in about 25% of patients previously thought to be chromosomally normal. Objective and methods: Array-CGH with approximately 3500 large insert clones spaced at ∼1 Mb intervals was used to investigate DNA copy number changes in 81 mentally impaired individuals. Results: Imbalances never observed in control chromosomes were detected in 20 patients (25%): seven were de novo, nine were inherited, and four could not have their origin determined. Six other alterations detected by array were disregarded because they were shown by FISH either to hybridise to both homologues similarly in a presumptive deletion (one case) or to involve clones that hybridised to multiple sites (five cases). All de novo imbalances were assumed to be causally related to the abnormal phenotypes. Among the others, a causal relation between the rearrangements and an aberrant phenotype could be inferred in six cases, including two imbalances of the X chromosome, where the associated clinical features segregated as X linked recessive traits. Conclusions: In all, 13 of 81 patients (16%) were found to have chromosomal imbalances probably related to their clinical features. The clinical significance of the seven remaining imbalances remains unclear. The limited ability to differentiate between inherited copy number variations which cause abnormal phenotypes and rare variants unrelated to clinical alterations currently constitutes a limitation in the use of CGH-microarray for guiding genetic counselling.

DNA microarrays are increasingly being used to investigate the functional role of chromatin. These studies are enhanced by the development of high-resolution arrays covering either the whole genome or specific regions of selected chromosomes with large insert clones, PCR products or oligonucleotides of around 100 bp or less. In combination with chromatin immunoprecipitation, this approach allows identification of protein binding for transcription factors, proteins involved in DNA replication and repair as well as sites of chromatin modification. Furthermore, by application of S phase fractions to genomic microarrays, replication timing can be estimated. Thus, microarrays can provide new information about chromosome structure and gene regulation.

In this study, 23 ovarian cancer cell lines were screened using array-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) based on large-insert clones at about 1 Mb density from throughout the genome. The most frequent recurrent changes at the level of the chromosome arm were loss of chromosome 4 or 4q, loss of 18q and gain of 20 or 20q; other recurrent changes included losses of 6q, 8p, 9p, 11p, 15q, 16q, 17p, and 22q, and gain of 7q. Losses of 4q and 18q occurred together more often than expected. Evidence was found for two types of ovarian cancer, one typically near-triploid and characterized by a generally higher frequency of chromosomal changes (especially losses of 4p, 4q, 13q, 15q, 16p, 16q, 18p and 18q), and the other typically near-diploid/tetraploid and with fewer changes overall, but with relatively high frequencies of 9p loss, 9q gain, and 20p gain. Multiple novel changes (amplifications, homozygous deletions, discrete regions of gain or loss, small overlapping regions of change and frequently changed clones) were also detected, each of which might indicate the locations of oncogenes or tumour suppressor loci. For example, at least two regions of amplification on chromosome 11q13, one including cyclin D1 and the other the candidate oncogene PAK1, were found. Amplification on 11q22 near the progesterone receptor gene and a cluster of matrix metalloproteinase loci was also detected. Other potential oncogenes, which mapped to regions found by this study, included cyclin E and PIK3C2G. Candidate tumour suppressor genes in regions of loss included CDKN2C, SMAD4-interacting protein and RASSF2.

Microsatellite-stable, near-diploid (MSI-CIN-) colorectal carcinomas have been reported, but it is not clear as to whether these tumours form a discrete group or represent one end of the distribution of MSI-CIN+ cancers. In order to address this question, we screened 23 MSI-CIN- colorectal cancers for gains and losses using array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) based on large-insert clones at about 1 Mb density. We compared our findings with those from a small set of MSI+CIN+ cancers, and with our reported data from MSI-CIN+ and MSI+CIN- cancers. We found no evidence of any form of genomic instability in MSI-CIN- cancers. At the level of the chromosome arm, the MSI-CIN- cancers had significantly fewer gains and losses than MSI-CIN+ tumours, but more than the MSI+CIN- and MSI+CIN+ lesions. The chromosomal-scale changes found in MSI-CIN- cancers generally involved the same sites as those in MSI-CIN+ tumours, and in both cancer groups, the best predictor of a specific change was the total number of such changes in that tumour. A few chromosomal-scale changes did, however, differ between the MSI-CIN- and MSI-CIN+ pathways. MSI-CIN- cancers showed: low frequencies of gain of 9p and 19p; infrequent loss of 5q and a high frequency of 20p gain. Overall, our data suggested that the MSI-CIN- group is heterogeneous, one type of MSI-CIN- cancer having few (< or =6) chromosomal-scale changes and the other with more (> or =10) changes resembling MSI-CIN+ cancers. At the level of individual clones, frequent and/or discrete gains or losses were generally located within regions of chromosomal-scale changes in both MSI-CIN- and MSI-CIN+ cancers, and fewer losses and gains were present in MSI-CIN- than MSI-CIN+ tumours. No changes by clone, which were specific to the MSI-CIN- cancers, were found. In addition to indicating differences among the cancer groups, our results also detected over 50 sites (amplifications, potential homozygous deletion and gains or losses which extended over only a few megabases) which might harbour uncharacterized oncogenes or tumour suppressor loci. In conclusion, our data support the suggestion that some MSI-CIN- carcinomas form a qualitatively different group from the other cancer types, and also suggest that the MSI-CIN- group is itself heterogeneous.

The ENCyclopedia Of DNA Elements (ENCODE) Project aims to identify all functional elements in the human genome sequence. The pilot phase of the Project is focused on a specified 30 megabases (∼1%) of the human genome sequence and is organized as an international consortium of computational and laboratory-based scientists working to develop and apply high-throughput approaches for detecting all sequence elements that confer biological function. The results of this pilot phase will guide future efforts to analyze the entire human genome.

We present an analysis of chromatin fiber structure across the human genome. Compact and open chromatin fiber structures were separated by sucrose sedimentation and their distributions analyzed by hybridization to metaphase chromosomes and genomic microarrays. We show that compact chromatin fibers originate from some sites of heterochromatin (C-bands), and G-bands (euchromatin). Open chromatin fibers correlate with regions of highest gene density, but not with gene expression since inactive genes can be in domains of open chromatin, and active genes in regions of low gene density can be embedded in compact chromatin fibers. Moreover, we show that chromatin fiber structure impacts on further levels of chromatin condensation. Regions of open chromatin fibers are cytologically decondensed and have a distinctive nuclear organization. We suggest that domains of open chromatin may create an environment that facilitates transcriptional activation and could provide an evolutionary constraint to maintain clusters of genes together along chromosomes.

We have screened 22 bladder tumour-derived cell lines and one normal urothelium-derived cell line for genome-wide copy number changes using array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH). Comparison of array CGH with existing multiplex-fluorescence in situ hybridization (M-FISH) results revealed excellent concordance. Regions of gain and loss were defined more accurately by array CGH, and several small regions of deletion were detected that were not identified by M-FISH. Numerous genetic changes were identified, many of which were compatible with previous results from conventional CGH and loss of heterozygosity analyses on bladder tumours. The most frequent changes involved complete or partial loss of 4q (83%) and gain of 20q (78%). Other frequent losses were of 18q (65%), 8p (65%), 2q (61%), 6q (61%), 3p (56%), 13q (56%), 4p (52%), 6p (52%), 10p (52%), 10q (52%) and 5p (43%). We have refined the localization of a region of deletion at 8p21.2-p21.3 to an interval of approximately 1 Mb. Five homozygous deletions of tumour suppressor genes were confirmed, and several potentially novel homozygous deletions were identified. In all, 15 high-level amplifications were detected, with a previously reported amplification at 6p22.3 being the most frequent. Real-time PCR analysis revealed a novel candidate gene with consistent overexpression in all cell lines with the 6p22.3 amplicon.

The sequencing of the human genome has led to the availability of an extensive mapped clone resource that is ideal for the construction of DNA microarrays. These genomic clone microarrays have largely been used for comparative genomic hybridisation studies of tumours to enable accurate measurement of copy number changes (array-CGH) at increased resolution. We have utilised these microarrays as the target for chromosome painting and reverse chromosome painting to provide a similar improvement in analysis resolution for these studies in a process we have termed array painting. In array painting, chromosomes are flow sorted, fluorescently labelled and hybridised to the microarray. The complete composition and the breakpoints of aberrant chromosomes can be analysed at high resolution in this way with a considerable reduction in time, effort and cytogenetic expertise required for conventional analysis using fluorescence in situ hybridisation. In a similar way, the resolution of cross-species chromosome painting can be improved and we present preliminary observations of the organisation of homologous DNA blocks between the white cheeked gibbon chromosome 14 and human chromosomes 2 and 17.

We have developed a directly quantitative method utilizing genomic clone DNA microarrays to assess the replication timing of sequences during the S phase of the cell cycle. The genomic resolution of the replication timing measurements is limited only by the genomic clone size and density. We demonstrate the power of this approach by constructing a genome-wide map of replication timing in human lymphoblastoid cells using an array with clones spaced at 1 Mb intervals and a high-resolution replication timing map of 22q with an array utilizing overlapping sequencing tile path clones. We show a positive correlation, both genome-wide and at a high resolution, between replication timing and a range of genome parameters including GC content, gene density and transcriptional activity.

Most human somatic cells can undergo only a limited number of population doublings in vitro. This exhaustion of proliferative potential, called senescence, can be triggered when telomeres--the ends of linear chromosomes-cannot fulfil their normal protective functions. Here we show that senescent human fibroblasts display molecular markers characteristic of cells bearing DNA double-strand breaks. These markers include nuclear foci of phosphorylated histone H2AX and their co-localization with DNA repair and DNA damage checkpoint factors such as 53BP1, MDC1 and NBS1. We also show that senescent cells contain activated forms of the DNA damage checkpoint kinases CHK1 and CHK2. Furthermore, by chromatin immunoprecipitation and whole-genome scanning approaches, we show that the chromosome ends of senescent cells directly contribute to the DNA damage response, and that uncapped telomeres directly associate with many, but not all, DNA damage response proteins. Finally, we show that inactivation of DNA damage checkpoint kinases in senescent cells can restore cell-cycle progression into S phase. Thus, we propose that telomere-initiated senescence reflects a DNA damage checkpoint response that is activated with a direct contribution from dysfunctional telomeres.

Objective The Ets-family transcription factor PU.1 is expressed specifically in the hematopoietic system, in which it is absolutely required for the generation of B lymphocytes and macrophages. In contrast, overexpression of PU.1 blocks terminal differentiation of the erythroid lineage, in which it can act as an oncogene. In this study we used a multipotential progenitor cell line to examine the effects of PU.1 overexpression on myeloerythroid commitment within a single model system. Materials and Methods PU.1 cDNA was introduced transiently and stably into the multipotent, nonleukemic hemopoietic cell line FDCPmix. Transiently transfected cells were isolated by fluorescence-activated cell sorting within 18 hours of transfection. Stable transfectants were selected by antibiotic resistance over a number of weeks. The effects of short- and long-term overexpression of PU.1 on self-renewal, proliferation, and differentiation were investigated. Results A transient pulse of expression in multipotent progenitor cells eliminated the options of self-renewal and erythroid differentiation, resulting in commitment to the myeloid lineage. However, this transient pulse of expression did not affect the subsequent lineage choice of bipotent granulocyte/macrophage progenitors. In contrast, continuous expression of PU.1 resulted in a strong bias toward macrophage rather than granulocyte differentiation. Conclusion These results demonstrate promyeloid effects of PU.1 at two distinct stages of hematopoiesis.

This work aimed to provide a means of assaying directly the effects of transient expression of introduced genes on the survival, proliferation, lineage commitment and differentiation of haemopoietic progenitor cells. For this purpose, we have developed a system that allows isolation of productively transfected, mulitipotent haemopoietic cells within a few hours of the introduction of test genes. We have shown that FDCP-mix cells productively transfected with expression plasmids encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) differentiate normally and retain colony-forming potential. We constructed an expression vector consisting of a bicistronic cassette in which a GFP marker gene and a test gene are driven from the same promoter. The vector design has been optimized for co-expression and the test gene was shown to be biologically active. The expression profile from a transiently transfected template under different growth conditions reveals that active expression continues for at least 2 d after transfection. The transient transfection of FDCP-mix cells with the vectors described provides a powerful tool for analysis of the immediate early effects of test gene overexpression during haemopoietic differentiation.

The use of epigenetic differences between maternal whole blood and fetal (placental) DNA is one of the main areas of interest for the development of noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidies. However, the lack of detailed chromosome-wide identification of differentially methylated sites has limited the application of this approach. In this study, we describe an analysis of chromosome-wide methylation status using methylation DNA immunoprecipitation coupled with high-resolution tiling oligonucleotide array analysis specific for chromosomes 21, 18, 13, X, and Y using female whole blood and placental DNA. We identified more than 2000 regions of differential methylation between female whole blood and placental DNA on each of the chromosomes tested. A subset of the differentially methylated regions identified was validated by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Additionally, correlation of these regions with CpG islands, genes, and promoter regions was investigated. Between 56 to 83% of the regions were located within nongenic regions whereas only 1 to 11% of the regions overlapped with CpG islands; of these, up to 65% were found in promoter regions. In summary, we identified a large number of previously unreported fetal epigenetic molecular markers that have the potential to be developed into targets for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21 and other common aneuploidies. In addition, we demonstrated the effectiveness of the methylation DNA immunoprecipitation approach in the enrichment of hypermethylated fetal DNA.

We report a novel resource (methylation profiles of DNA, or mPod) for human genome-wide tissue-specific DNA methylation profiles. mPod consists of three fully integrated parts, genome-wide DNA methylation reference profiles of 13 normal somatic tissues, placenta, sperm, and an immortalized cell line, a visualization tool that has been integrated with the Ensembl genome browser and a new algorithm for the analysis of immunoprecipitation-based DNA methylation profiles. We demonstrate the utility of our resource by identifying the first comprehensive genome-wide set of tissue-specific differentially methylated regions (tDMRs) that may play a role in cellular identity and the regulation of tissue-specific genome function. We also discuss the implications of our findings with respect to the regulatory potential of regions with varied CpG density, gene expression, transcription factor motifs, gene ontology, and correlation with other epigenetic marks such as histone modifications. ©2008 by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press. Fil: Rakyan, Vardhman K.. Barts And The London School Of Medicine And Dentistry; Fil: Down, Thomas A.. University of Cambridge; Estados Unidos Fil: Thorne, Natalie P.. University of Cambridge; Estados Unidos Fil: Flicek, Paul. European Bioinformatics Institute; Fil: Kulesha, Eugene. European Bioinformatics Institute; Fil: Gräf, Stefan. European Bioinformatics Institute; Fil: Tomazou, Eleni M.. Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; Fil: Bäckdahl, Liselotte. Ucl Cancer Institute; Fil: Johnson, Nathan. European Bioinformatics Institute; Fil: Herberth, Marlis. University of Cambridge; Estados Unidos Fil: Howe, Kevin L.. University of Cambridge; Estados Unidos Fil: Jackson, David K.. Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; Fil: Miretti, Marcos Mateo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Posadas; Argentina Fil: Fiegler, Heike. Roche Diagnostics Ltd.; . Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; Fil: Marioni, John C.. University of Cambridge; Estados Unidos Fil: Birney, Ewan. European Bioinformatics Institute; Fil: Hubbard, Tim J. P.. Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; Fil: Carter, Nigel P.. Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute; Fil: Tavaré, Simon. University of Cambridge; Estados Unidos Fil: Beck, Stephan G.. Ucl Cancer Institute

Using published high-resolution data on S-phase replication timing, we determined the three-dimensional (3D) nuclear arrangement of 33 very-early-replicating and 31 very-late-replicating loci. We analyzed diploid human, non-human primate and rearranged tumor cells by 3D fluorescence in situ hybridization with the aim of investigating the impact of chromosomal structural changes on the nuclear organization of these loci. Overall, their topology was found to be largely conserved between cell types, species and in tumor cells. Early-replicating loci were localized in the nuclear interior, whereas late-replicating loci showed a broader distribution with a higher preference for the periphery than for late-BrdU-incorporation foci. However, differences in the spatial arrangement of early and late loci of chromosome 2, as compared with those from chromosome 5, 7 and 17, argue against replication timing as a major driving force for the 3D radial genome organization in human lymphoblastoid cell nuclei. Instead, genomic properties, and local gene density in particular, were identified as the decisive parameters. Further detailed comparisons of chromosome 7 loci in primate and tumor cells suggest that the inversions analyzed influence nuclear topology to a greater extent than the translocations, thus pointing to geometrical constraints in the 3D conformation of a chromosome territory.

Rapid, high-resolution analysis of genomic rearrangements has become possible using array-comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), a combination of CGH with DNA microarray technology. Using aCGH, genome copy number changes and rearrangement breakpoints can now be mapped and analyzed at resolutions down to a few kilobases or even less in a single hybridization. This technology is enabling us to identify previously hidden rearrangements in patients with suspected genomic disorders for which no karyotype aberrations could be identified using conventional cytogenetic analysis. Furthermore, the development of array painting has revealed a surprising level of rearrangement complexity in patients with apparently balanced translocations.

Datasets used for detecting copy number variation (CNV) are shown to be affected by a technical artifact. A novel CNV calling algorithm is presented which removes this artifact and identifies regions of CNV better than existing methods., Background Large-scale high throughput studies using microarray technology have established that copy number variation (CNV) throughout the genome is more frequent than previously thought. Such variation is known to play an important role in the presence and development of phenotypes such as HIV-1 infection and Alzheimer's disease. However, methods for analyzing the complex data produced and identifying regions of CNV are still being refined. Results We describe the presence of a genome-wide technical artifact, spatial autocorrelation or 'wave', which occurs in a large dataset used to determine the location of CNV across the genome. By removing this artifact we are able to obtain both a more biologically meaningful clustering of the data and an increase in the number of CNVs identified by current calling methods without a major increase in the number of false positives detected. Moreover, removing this artifact is critical for the development of a novel model-based CNV calling algorithm - CNVmix - that uses cross-sample information to identify regions of the genome where CNVs occur. For regions of CNV that are identified by both CNVmix and current methods, we demonstrate that CNVmix is better able to categorize samples into groups that represent copy number gains or losses. Conclusion Removing artifactual 'waves' (which appear to be a general feature of array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) datasets) and using cross-sample information when identifying CNVs enables more biological information to be extracted from aCGH experiments designed to investigate copy number variation in normal individuals.

We report the generation and analysis of functional data from multiple, diverse experiments performed on a targeted 1% of the human genome as part of the pilot phase of the ENCODE Project. These data have been further integrated and augmented by a number of evolutionary and computational analyses. Together, our results advance the collective knowledge about human genome function in several major areas. First, our studies provide convincing evidence that the genome is pervasively transcribed, such that the majority of its bases can be found in primary transcripts, including non-protein-coding transcripts, and those that extensively overlap one another. Second, systematic examination of transcriptional regulation has yielded new understanding about transcription start sites, including their relationship to specific regulatory sequences and features of chromatin accessibility and histone modification. Third, a more sophisticated view about chromatin structure has emerged, including its interrelationship with DNA replication and transcriptional regulation. Finally, integration of these new sources of information, in particular with respect to mammalian evolution based on inter- and intra-species sequence comparisons, has yielded novel mechanistic and evolutionary insights about the functional landscape of the human genome. Together, these studies are defining a path forward to pursue a more-comprehensive characterisation of human genome function.

Phosphorylated histone H2AX (gammaH2AX) is generated in nucleosomes flanking sites of DNA double-strand breaks, triggering the recruitment of DNA-damage response proteins such as MDC1 and 53BP1. Here, we study shortened telomeres in senescent human cells. We show that most telomeres trigger gammaH2AX formation, which spreads up to 570 kb into the subtelomeric regions. Furthermore, we reveal that the spreading patterns of 53BP1 and MDC1 are very similar to that of gammaH2AX, consistent with a structural link between these factors. Moreover, different subsets of telomeres signal in different cell lines, with those that signal tending to equate to the shortest telomeres of the corresponding cell line, thus linking telomere attrition with DNA-damage signalling. Notably, we find that, in some cases, gammaH2AX spreading is modulated in a manner suggesting that H2AX distribution or its ability to be phosphorylated is not uniform along the chromosome. Finally, we observe weak gammaH2AX signals at telomeres of proliferating cells, but not in hTERT immortalised cells, suggesting that low telomerase activity leads to telomere uncapping and senescence in proliferating primary cells.

Starch consumption is a prominent characteristic of agricultural societies and hunter-gatherers in arid environments. In contrast, rainforest and circum-arctic hunter-gatherers and some pastoralists consume much less starch. This behavioral variation raises the possibility that different selective pressures have acted on amylase, the enzyme responsible for starch hydrolysis. We found that copy number of the salivary amylase gene (AMY1) is correlated positively with salivary amylase protein level and that individuals from populations with high-starch diets have, on average, more AMY1 copies than those with traditionally low-starch diets. Comparisons with other loci in a subset of these populations suggest that the extent of AMY1 copy number differentiation is highly unusual. This example of positive selection on a copy number-variable gene is, to our knowledge, one of the first discovered in the human genome. Higher AMY1 copy numbers and protein levels probably improve the digestion of starchy foods and may buffer against the fitness-reducing effects of intestinal disease.

Item does not contain fulltext Array-based whole genome investigation or molecular karyotyping enables the genome-wide detection of submicroscopic imbalances. Proof-of-principle experiments have demonstrated that molecular karyotyping outperforms conventional karyotyping with regard to detection of chromosomal imbalances. This article identifies areas for which the technology seems matured and areas that require more investigations. Molecular karyotyping should be part of the genetic diagnostic work-up of patients with developmental disorders. For the implementation of the technique for other constitutional indications and in prenatal diagnosis, more research is appropriate. Also, the article aims to provide best practice guidelines for the application of array comparative genomic hybridisation to ensure both technical and clinical quality criteria that will optimise and standardise results and reports in diagnostic laboratories. In short, both the specificity and the sensitivity of the arrays should be evaluated in every laboratory offering the diagnostic test. Internal and external quality control programmes are urgently needed to evaluate and standardise the test results between laboratories.

International audience; Copy number variation (CNV) of DNA sequences is functionally significant but has yet to be fully ascertained. We have constructed a first-generation CNV map of the human genome through the study of 270 individuals from four populations with ancestry in Europe, Africa or Asia (the HapMap collection). DNA from these individuals was screened for CNV using two complementary technologies: single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping arrays, and clone-based comparative genomic hybridization. A total of 1,447 copy number variable regions (CNVRs), which can encompass overlapping or adjacent gains or losses, covering 360 megabases (12% of the genome) were identified in these populations. These CNVRs contained hundreds of genes, disease loci, functional elements and segmental duplications. Notably, the CNVRs encompassed more nucleotide content per genome than SNPs, underscoring the importance of CNV in genetic diversity and evolution. The data obtained delineate linkage disequilibrium patterns for many CNVs, and reveal marked variation in copy number among populations. We also demonstrate the utility of this resource for genetic disease studies.

The presence of highly homologous sequences, known as low copy repeats, predisposes for unequal recombination within the 22q11 region. This can lead to genomic imbalances associated with several known genetic disorders. We report here a developmentally delayed patient carrying different rearrangements on both chromosome 22 homologues, including a previously unreported rearrangement within the 22q11 region. One homologue carries a deletion of the proximal part of chromosome band 22q11. To our knowledge, a ‘pure’ deletion of this region has not been described previously. Four copies of this 22q11 region, however, are associated with Cat eye syndrome (CES). While the phenotypic impact of this deletion is unclear, familial investigation revealed five normal relatives carrying this deletion, suggesting that haplo-insufficiency of the CES region has little clinical relevance. The other chromosome 22 homologue carries a duplication of the Velocardiofacial/DiGeorge syndrome (VCFS/DGS) region. In addition, a previously undescribed deletion of 22q12.1, located in a relatively gene-poor region, was identified. As the clinical features of patients suffering from a duplication of the VCFS/DGS region have proven to be extremely variable, it is impossible to postulate as to the contribution of the 22q12.1 deletion to the phenotype of the patient. Additional patients with a deletion within this region are needed to establish the consequences of this copy number alteration. This study highlights the value of using different genomic approaches to unravel chromosomal alterations in order to study their phenotypic impact.

BACKGROUND and AIMS: In the stepwise model, specific genetic and epigenetic changes accumulate as colorectal adenomas progress to carcinomas (CRCs). CRCs also acquire global phenotypes, particularly microsatellite instability (MSI) and aneuploidy/polyploidy (chromosomal instability, CIN). Few changes specific to MSI-low or CIN+ cancers have been established. METHODS: We investigated 100 CRCs for: mutations and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) where appropriate, of APC, K-ras, BRAF, SMAD4, and p53; deletion on 5q around APC and 18q around SMAD4; total chromosomal-scale losses and gains; MSI; and CIN. RESULTS: As expected, CIN- cancers had fewer chromosomal changes overall than CIN+ lesions, but after correcting for this, 5q deletions alone predicted CIN+ status. 5q deletions were not, however, significantly associated with APC mutations, which were equally frequent in CIN+ and CIN- tumors. We therefore found no evidence to show that mutant APC promotes CIN. p53 mutations/LOH were more common in CIN+ than CIN- lesions, and all chromosomal amplifications were in CIN+ tumors. CIN- cancers could be subdivided according to the total number of chromosomal-scale changes into CIN-low and CIN-stable groups; 18q deletion was the best predictor, being present in nearly all CIN-low lesions and almost no CIN-stable tumors. MSI-low was not associated with CIN, any specific mutation, a mutational signature, or clinicopathologic characteristic. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the components of the stepwise model (APC, K-ras, and p53 mutations, plus 18q LOH) tended to co-occur randomly. We propose an updated version of this model comprising 4 pathways of CRC pathogenesis, on the basis of 5q/18q deletions, MSI (high/low), and CIN (high/low/stable).