Project description:DNA methylation can give rise to robust biomarkers of aging, yet most studies profile it at the bulk tissue level, which masks cell type-specific alterations that may follow distinct aging trajectories. Long-read sequencing technology enables methylation profiling of extended DNA fragments, enabling mapping to their cell type of origin. In this study, we introduce a framework for evaluating cell type-specific aging using long-read sequencing data, without the need for cell sorting. Leveraging cell type-specific methylation patterns, we map long-read fragments to individual cell types and generate cell type-specific methylation profiles, which are used as input to a newly developed probabilistic aging model, LongReadAge, capable of predicting epigenetic age at the cell-type level. We use LongReadAge to track aging of myeloid cells and lymphocytes from bulk leukocyte data as well as circulating cell-free DNA, demonstrating robust performance in predicting age despite limited shared features across samples. This approach provides a novel method for profiling the dynamics of epigenetic aging at cell-type resolution.
Project description:Ongoing improvements to next generation sequencing technologies are leading to longer sequencing read lengths, but a thorough understanding of the impact of longer reads on RNA sequencing analyses is lacking. To address this issue, we generated and compared two RNA sequencing datasets of differing read lengths -- 2x75 bp (L75) and 2x262 bp (L262) -- and investigated the impact of read length on various aspects of analysis, including the performance of currently available read-mapping tools, gene and transcript quantification, and detection of allele-specific expression patterns. Our results indicate that, while the scalability of read-mapping tools and the cost-effectiveness of long read protocol is an issue that requires further attention, longer reads enable more accurate quantification of diverse aspects of gene expression, including individual-specific patterns of allele-specific expression and alternative splicing. Two RNA-Seq datasets of differing read lengths (2x262 bp and 2x75 bp)
Project description:This study presents the highest-resolution chromatin map of cellular senescence to date, shedding light on how genomic architecture is altered with this damaging phenotype. Senescence, a driver of aging, is a pro-inflammatory state of proliferative arrest caused by DNA damage; it is associated with epigenetic changes, including those to chromatin organization. We created ~3kb Hi-C contact maps of proliferating, quiescent, and replicative senescent lung fibroblasts, and also compared these to oncogene-induced senescence. Our findings confirm a loss of heterochromatin, with a shift towards the A compartment and A subcompartments. We establish a novel loop analysis framework, revealing the ~six times more unique loops with senescence, which lose methylation at their anchors. Additionally, we present a custom long-read reference genome highlighting structural changes supporting retrotransposon derepression, particularly at a defined ‘hotspot’. These architectural changes contribute to senescence, as they promote cell cycle arrest and inflammation, as well as epigenetic drift.
Project description:Ongoing improvements to next generation sequencing technologies are leading to longer sequencing read lengths, but a thorough understanding of the impact of longer reads on RNA sequencing analyses is lacking. To address this issue, we generated and compared two RNA sequencing datasets of differing read lengths -- 2x75 bp (L75) and 2x262 bp (L262) -- and investigated the impact of read length on various aspects of analysis, including the performance of currently available read-mapping tools, gene and transcript quantification, and detection of allele-specific expression patterns. Our results indicate that, while the scalability of read-mapping tools and the cost-effectiveness of long read protocol is an issue that requires further attention, longer reads enable more accurate quantification of diverse aspects of gene expression, including individual-specific patterns of allele-specific expression and alternative splicing.
Project description:This SuperSeries is composed of the following subset Series: GSE32050: 5-hydroxymethylcytosine-mediated epigenetic dynamics during neurodevelopment and aging [5hmC Capture and Seq] GSE32187: 5-hydroxymethylcytosine-mediated epigenetic dynamics during neurodevelopment and aging [mRNA profiling] Refer to individual Series
Project description:In recent years, long-read sequencing technologies have detected transcript isoforms with unprecedented accuracy and resolution. However, it remains unclear whether long-read sequencing can effectively disentangle the isoform landscape of complex allele-specific loci that arise from genetic or epigenetic differences between alleles. Here, we combine the PacBio Iso-Seq workflow with the established phasing approach WhatsHap to assign long reads to the corresponding allele in polymorphic F1 mouse hybrids. Upon comparing the long-read sequencing results with matched short reads, we observed general consistency in the allele-specific information and were able to confirm the imprinting status of known imprinted genes. We then explored the complex imprinted Gnas locus known for allele-specific non-coding and coding isoforms and were able to benchmark historical observations. This approach also allowed us to detect isoforms from both the active and inactive X chromosomes of genes that escape X chromosome inactivation. The described workflow offers a promising framework and demonstrates the power of long-read transcriptomic data to provide mechanistic insight into complex allele-specific loci.