Project description:We performed whole exome sequencing and copy number analysis for 15 triplets, each comprising normal colorectal tissue, primary colorectal carcinoma, and its synchronous matched liver metastasis. We analyzed the similarities and differences between primary colorectal carcinoma and matched liver metastases in regards to somatic mutations and somatic copy number alterationss (SCNAs). The genomic profiling demonstrated mutations in APC(73%), KRAS (33%), ARID1A and PIK3CA (6.7%) genes between primary colorectal and metastatic liver tumors. TP53 mutation was observed in 47% of the primary samples and 67% in liver metastatic samples. The grouped pairs, in hierarchical clustering showed similar SCNA patterns, in contrast to the ungrouped pairs. Many mutations (including those of known key cancer driver genes) were shared in the grouped pairs. The ungrouped pairs exhibited distinct mutation patterns with no shared mutations in key driver genes. Four ungrouped liver metastasis samples had mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes along with hypermutations and a substantial number of copy number of alterations. Genomically, colorectal and metastatic liver tumors were very similar. However, in a subgroup of patients, there were genetic variations in liver metastases in the loss of DNA mismatch repair genes. Copy number analysis of Affymetrix CytoScanHD arrays was performed for 15 primary colorectal carcinoma and 15 samples of their matched liver metastases. 15 normal samples prepared from each of the patient was used as the reference for the study. Nexus Copy number 6.1 software was used for somatic copy number alteration analysis.
Project description:Colorectal cancer is the third most common and the second deadliest tumour type in both sexes world-wide. To understand the functional and prognostic impact of cancer-causing somatic mutations, we analysed the whole genomes and transcriptomes of 1,063 primary colorectal cancers in a population-based cohort with long-term follow-up. High quality transcriptome sequences from 1,063 tumours and 120 tissue normals enabled integration analyses of gene mutations and gene expression levels.
Project description:Structural rearrangements form a major class of somatic variation in cancer genomes. Local chromosome shattering, termed chromothripsis, is a mechanism proposed to be the cause of clustered chromosomal rearrangements and was recently described to occur in a small percentage of tumors. The significance of these clusters for tumor development or metastatic spread is largely unclear. We used genome-wide long mate-pair sequencing and SNP array profiling to reveal that chromothripsis is a widespread phenomenon in primary colorectal cancer and metastases. We find large and small chromothripsis events in nearly every colorectal tumor sample and show that several breakpoints of chromothripsis clusters and isolated rearrangements affect cancer genes, including NOTCH2, EXO1 and MLL3. We complemented the structural variation studies by sequencing the coding regions of a cancer exome in all colorectal tumor samples and found somatic mutations in 24 genes, including APC, KRAS, SMAD4 and PIK3CA. A pairwise comparison of somatic variations in primary and metastatic samples indicated that in many chromothripsis clusters, isolated rearrangements and point mutations are exclusively present in either the primary tumor or the metastasis and may affect cancer genes in a lesion-specific manner. We conclude that chromothripsis is a prevalent mechanism driving structural rearrangements in colorectal cancer and show that a complex interplay between point mutations, simple copy number changes and chromothripsis events drive colorectal tumor development and metastasis.
Project description:Structural rearrangements form a major class of somatic variation in cancer genomes. Local chromosome shattering, termed chromothripsis, is a mechanism proposed to be the cause of clustered chromosomal rearrangements and was recently described to occur in a small percentage of tumors. The significance of these clusters for tumor development or metastatic spread is largely unclear. We used genome-wide long mate-pair sequencing and SNP array profiling to reveal that chromothripsis is a widespread phenomenon in primary colorectal cancer and metastases. We find large and small chromothripsis events in nearly every colorectal tumor sample and show that several breakpoints of chromothripsis clusters and isolated rearrangements affect cancer genes, including NOTCH2, EXO1 and MLL3. We complemented the structural variation studies by sequencing the coding regions of a cancer exome in all colorectal tumor samples and found somatic mutations in 24 genes, including APC, KRAS, SMAD4 and PIK3CA. A pairwise comparison of somatic variations in primary and metastatic samples indicated that in many chromothripsis clusters, isolated rearrangements and point mutations are exclusively present in either the primary tumor or the metastasis and may affect cancer genes in a lesion-specific manner. We conclude that chromothripsis is a prevalent mechanism driving structural rearrangements in colorectal cancer and show that a complex interplay between point mutations, simple copy number changes and chromothripsis events drive colorectal tumor development and metastasis. We analyzed 16 tissue samples from four patients. For each patient we analyzed the DNA of a primary colon tumor sample, a normal colon tissue sample, a metastatic liver tumor sample and a normal liver tissue sample. The normal colon and normal liver samples serve as a control for the primary and metastatic tumor samples.
Project description:Background: The Ras pathway genes KRAS, BRAF or ERBBs have somatic mutations in ~60% of human colorectal carcinomas. At present, it is unknown whether the remaining cases lack mutations activating the Ras pathway, or whether they have acquired mutations in genes hitherto not known to belong to the pathway. Methods: To address the second possibility, and extend the compendium of Ras pathway genes, we used genome-wide transposon mutagenesis of two human colorectal cancer cell systems deprived of their activating KRAS or BRAF allele to identify genes enabling growth in low glucose, a Ras pathway phenotype, when targeted. Results: Of the 163 recurrently targeted genes in the two different genetic backgrounds, one third were known cancer genes and one-fifth had links to the EGFR/Ras/MAPK pathway. When compared to cancer genome sequencing datasets, 9 genes also mutated in human colorectal cancers were identified. Among these, stable knock-down of FOXO3, NCOA3, and TCF7L2 restored growth in low glucose but reduced MEK/MAPK phosphorylation, reduced anchorage-independent growth, and modulated expressions of GLUT1 and Ras pathway related proteins. Knock-down of NCOA3 and FOXO3 significantly decreased the sensitivity to cetuximab of KRAS mutant but not wild-type cells. Conclusions: This work establishes a proof-of-concept that human cell based genome-wide forward genetic screens can assign genes to pathways with clinical importance in human colorectal cancer.
Project description:We performed whole exome sequencing and copy number analysis for 15 triplets, each comprising normal colorectal tissue, primary colorectal carcinoma, and its synchronous matched liver metastasis. We analyzed the similarities and differences between primary colorectal carcinoma and matched liver metastases in regards to somatic mutations and somatic copy number alterationss (SCNAs). The genomic profiling demonstrated mutations in APC(73%), KRAS (33%), ARID1A and PIK3CA (6.7%) genes between primary colorectal and metastatic liver tumors. TP53 mutation was observed in 47% of the primary samples and 67% in liver metastatic samples. The grouped pairs, in hierarchical clustering showed similar SCNA patterns, in contrast to the ungrouped pairs. Many mutations (including those of known key cancer driver genes) were shared in the grouped pairs. The ungrouped pairs exhibited distinct mutation patterns with no shared mutations in key driver genes. Four ungrouped liver metastasis samples had mutations in DNA mismatch repair genes along with hypermutations and a substantial number of copy number of alterations. Genomically, colorectal and metastatic liver tumors were very similar. However, in a subgroup of patients, there were genetic variations in liver metastases in the loss of DNA mismatch repair genes.
Project description:High-throughput proteomics profiling-derived signature associated with chemotherapy response and survival for stage II/III colorectal cancer