Project description:Understanding the function of rare non-coding genetic variants represents a significant challenge. Here, we developed MapUTR, a screen to identify rare 3’ UTR variants affecting mRNA abundance post-transcriptionally. Among 17,301 rare variants, an average of 24.5% were functional, with 70% in cancer-related genes, many in critical cancer pathways. This observation motivated a further interrogation of 11,929 cancer somatic mutations, uncovering 3,928 (33%) functional mutations in well-established cancer driver genes, such as CDKN2A. Functional MapUTR variants were enriched in miRNA targets and protein-RNA interaction sites. Based on MapUTR, we define a new metric, untranslated tumor mutation burden (uTMB), reflecting the amount of somatic functional MapUTR variants of a tumor. We showed the potential of uTMB in predicting patient survival. Through prime editing, we characterized three variants in cancer-relevant genes (MFN2, FOSL2, and IRAK1), illustrating their cancer-driving potential. Our study elucidates the function of thousands of non-coding variants, nominates non-coding cancer driver mutations, and demonstrates their potential contributions to cancer.
Project description:Understanding the function of rare non-coding genetic variants represents a significant challenge. Here, we developed MapUTR, a screen to identify rare 3’ UTR variants affecting mRNA abundance post-transcriptionally. Among 17,301 rare variants, an average of 24.5% were functional, with 70% in cancer-related genes, many in critical cancer pathways. This observation motivated a further interrogation of 11,929 cancer somatic mutations, uncovering 3,928 (33%) functional mutations in well-established cancer driver genes, such as CDKN2A. Functional MapUTR variants were enriched in miRNA targets and protein-RNA interaction sites. Based on MapUTR, we define a new metric, untranslated tumor mutation burden (uTMB), reflecting the amount of somatic functional MapUTR variants of a tumor. We showed the potential of uTMB in predicting patient survival. Through prime editing, we characterized three variants in cancer-relevant genes (MFN2, FOSL2, and IRAK1), illustrating their cancer-driving potential. Our study elucidates the function of thousands of non-coding variants, nominates non-coding cancer driver mutations, and demonstrates their potential contributions to cancer.
Project description:Understanding the function of rare non-coding genetic variants represents a significant challenge. Here, we developed MapUTR, a screen to identify rare 3’ UTR variants affecting mRNA abundance post-transcriptionally. Among 17,301 rare variants, an average of 24.5% were functional, with 70% in cancer-related genes, many in critical cancer pathways. This observation motivated a further interrogation of 11,929 cancer somatic mutations, uncovering 3,928 (33%) functional mutations in well-established cancer driver genes, such as CDKN2A. Functional MapUTR variants were enriched in miRNA targets and protein-RNA interaction sites. Based on MapUTR, we define a new metric, untranslated tumor mutation burden (uTMB), reflecting the amount of somatic functional MapUTR variants of a tumor. We showed the potential of uTMB in predicting patient survival. Through prime editing, we characterized three variants in cancer-relevant genes (MFN2, FOSL2, and IRAK1), illustrating their cancer-driving potential. Our study elucidates the function of thousands of non-coding variants, nominates non-coding cancer driver mutations, and demonstrates their potential contributions to cancer.
Project description:Mounting evidence suggests that copy number variations (CNVs) can contribute to cancer susceptibility. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the role of germline CNVs in melanoma predisposition in high-risk melanoma families. We used genome-wide tiling comparative genomic hybridization and SNP arrays to characterize CNVs in 335 individuals (240 melanoma cases) from American melanoma-prone families (22 with germline CDKN2A or CDK4 mutations). We found that the global burden of overall CNVs (or deletions or duplications separately) was not significantly associated with case-control or CDKN2A/CDK4 mutation status after accounting for the familial dependence. However, we identified several rare CNVs that either involved known melanoma genes (e.g. PARP1, CDKN2A) or co-segregated with melanoma (duplication on 10q23.23, 3p12.2 and deletions on 8q424.3, 2q22.1) in families without mutations in known melanoma high-risk genes. Some of these CNVs were correlated with expression changes in disrupted genes based on RNASeq data from a subset of melanoma cases included in the CNV study. These results suggest that rare co-segregating CNVs may influence melanoma susceptibility in some melanoma-prone families and genes found in our study warrant further evaluation in future genetic analyses of melanoma.
Project description:Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the U.S. Both rare and common germline variants contribute to PDAC risk. Here, we fine-map and functionally characterize a common PDAC risk signal at 1p36.33 identified through a genome wide association study (GWAS). One of the fine-mapped SNPs, rs13303160 (r2=0.93 in 1000G EUR samples, OR=1.23, P value=2.74x10-9) demonstrated allele-preferential gene regulatory activity in vitro and allele-preferential binding of JunB and JunD in vitro and in vivo. Expression Quantitative Trait Locus (eQTL) analysis identified KLHL17 as a likely target gene underlying the signal. Proteomic analysis identified KLHL17 as a member of the Cullin-E3 ubiquitin ligase complex in PDAC-derived cells. In silico differential gene expression analysis of the GTExv8 pancreas data suggested an association between lower KLHL17 (risk associated) and pro-inflammatory pathways. We hypothesize that KLHL17 may mitigate inflammation by recruiting pro-inflammatory proteins for ubiquitination and degradation thereby influencing PDAC risk.
Project description:To efficiently identify genetic susceptibility variants for gastric cancer, including rare coding variants, we performed an exome chip-based array study. We found that a linkage disequilibrium (LD) block containing 2 significant variants in PSCA gene increased the risk and two blocks that included 15 suggested variants including TRIM31, TRIM 40, TRIM 10, and TRIM26 regions, and included one suggested variant and OR2H2 gene showed protective associations with gastric cancer susceptibility. In addition, the PLEC region (rs200893203), FBLN2 region (rs201192415), and EPHA2 region (rs3754334) were associated with increased susceptibility We performed an exome chip-based array study in 329 gastric cancer cases and 683 controls.
Project description:Genes involved in distinct diabetes types suggest shared disease mechanisms. We show that rare ONECUT1 coding variants cause monogenic recessive diabetes (neonatal or very early-onset, syndromic) in two unrelated patients, and monogenic dominant diabetes (early adult-onset) in heterozygous relatives of these and 13 additional unrelated cases. Patients heterozygous for rare ONECUT1 coding variants define a subgroup of T2D with early-onset diabetes and other features. In addition, common regulatory ONECUT1 variants are associated with multifactorial T2D. Directed differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells to the pancreatic lineage revealed that loss of ONECUT1 impairs pancreatic progenitor formation and a subsequent endocrine program. We uncovered that ONECUT1 activates the pro-endocrine genes NKX6.1 and NKX2.2 through binding to their cis-regulatory elements. Globally, ONECUT1-directed gene transcription occurs in association with major islet transcription factors, at clusters of pancreas- and endocrine-specific enhancers within open chromatin. ONECUT1 regulates a transcriptional and epigenetic machinery critical for proper endocrine pancreatic development, involved in a spectrum of diabetes, monogenic recessive and dominant, and multifactorial.
Project description:To efficiently identify genetic susceptibility variants for gastric cancer, including rare coding variants, we performed an exome chip-based array study. We found that a linkage disequilibrium (LD) block containing 2 significant variants in PSCA gene increased the risk and two blocks that included 15 suggested variants including TRIM31, TRIM 40, TRIM 10, and TRIM26 regions, and included one suggested variant and OR2H2 gene showed protective associations with gastric cancer susceptibility. In addition, the PLEC region (rs200893203), FBLN2 region (rs201192415), and EPHA2 region (rs3754334) were associated with increased susceptibility
Project description:Germline mutations in CDKN2A and/or red hair colour variants in MC1R genes are associated with an increased susceptibility to develop cutaneous melanoma. To investigate the impact of germinal p.G101W CDKN2A mutation and MC1R variants on gene expression and transcription profiles associated to skin cancer and melanoma in particular, we set-up primary skin cultures from twins belonging to the melanoma prone-families with and without these genomic features. were analyzed using expression array methodology. Overall, 1535 transcripts were deregulated in CDKN2A mutated cells, finding overexpression of immunity-related genes (HLA-DPB1, CLEC2B, IFI44, IFI44L, IFI27, IFIT1, IFIT2, SP110 and IFNK) and downregulation of genes playing a role in the Notch signaling pathway. 3570 transcripts were deregulated in carriers of MC1R variants. In this case, upregulated genes were involved in oxidative stress and DNA damage pathways as well as in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer and Huntington. In contrast, downregulated genes were associated with pigmentation synthesis/transport and angiogenesis. By using a coculture system, this study identified key molecular functions and/or pathways that are deregulated due to alterations in melanoma susceptibility genes which in turn, could be involved in initiation/progression of the disease. 12 samples total. Several experimental groups: with and without genomic features (CDKN2A, MC1R).
Project description:Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a childhood onset neurodevelopmental disorder with a large genetic risk component. It affects around 5% of children and 2.5% of adults and is associated with a range of severe outcomes. Here we identify three genes (MAP1A, ANO8, ANK2, P < 3.07e-6) implicated in ADHD by rare coding variants from exome sequencing of 8,895 individuals with ADHD and 53,780 controls. Rare deleterious variants in the three genes confer substantial risk for ADHD (odds ratios 5.55 - 15.13) and explain 5.2% of the overall rare variant heritability of ADHD, which was estimated to 2.5%. Protein-protein interaction networks of the three identified genes were enriched for rare variant risk of other neurodevelopmental disorders, and enrichment analyses pointed towards involvement of the networks in cytoskeleton organization, synapse function, and RNA processing. The top associated rare variant risk genes showed an increased mean expression across both pre- and postnatal brain developmental stages, with enrichment in several neuronal cell types including GABAergic and dopaminergic neurons, as well as among genes expressed in axons and in ion channel diseases. Rare protein-truncating variants were associated with lower socioeconomic status and lower education in individuals with ADHD, both before and after excluding individuals with co-occurring intellectual disability (ID). In line with this we identified a decrease in 2.25 intelligence quotient (IQ) points per rare deleterious variant in a German sample of adults with ADHD (N = 962). Individuals with both ADHD and ID showed increased load of rare variant risk overall, while individuals with other psychiatric comorbidities demonstrated increased load only for specific neurodevelopmental disorder gene sets. This suggests that psychiatric comorbidity (other than ID) in ADHD primarily is driven by rare variants in specific genes, rather than a general increased load across constrained genes.