Differentiating between monozygotic twins through next-generation mitochondrial genome sequencing

Monozygotic (MZ) twins, considered to be genetically identical, cannot be distinguished from one another by standard forensic DNA testing. A recent study employed whole genome sequencing to identify extremely rare mutations and reported that mutation analysis could be used to differentiate between MZ twins. Compared with nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) has higher mutation rates; therefore, minor differences theoretically exist in MZ twins' mitochondrial genome (mtGenome). However, conventional Sanger-type sequencing (STS) is neither amenable to, nor feasible for, the detection of low-level sequence variants. The recent introduction of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) has the capability to sequence many targeted regions of multiple samples simultaneously with desirable depth of coverage. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess whether full mtGenome sequencing analysis can be used to differentiate between MZ twins. Ten sets of MZ twins provided blood samples that underwent extraction, quantification, mtDNA enrichment, library preparation, and ultra-deep sequencing. Point heteroplasmies were observed in eight sets of MZ twins, and a single nucleotide variant (nt15301) was detected in five sets of MZ twins. Thus, this study demonstrates that ultra-deep mtGenome sequencing could be used to differentiate between MZ twins.     

Application of Massively Parallel Sequencing to Genetic Diagnosis in Multiplex Families with Idiopathic Sensorineural Hearing Impairment

Despite the clinical utility of genetic diagnosis to address idiopathic sensorineural hearing impairment (SNHI), the current strategy for screening mutations via Sanger sequencing suffers from the limitation that only a limited number of DNA fragments associated with common deafness mutations can be genotyped. Consequently, a definitive genetic diagnosis cannot be achieved in many families with discernible family history. To investigate the diagnostic utility of massively parallel sequencing (MPS), we applied the MPS technique to 12 multiplex families with idiopathic SNHI in which common deafness mutations had previously been ruled out. NimbleGen sequence capture array was designed to target all protein coding sequences (CDSs) and 100 bp of the flanking sequence of 80 common deafness genes. We performed MPS on the Illumina HiSeq2000, and applied BWA, SAMtools, Picard, GATK, Variant Tools, ANNOVAR, and IGV for bioinformatics analyses. Initial data filtering with allele frequencies (<5% in the 1000 Genomes Project and 5400 NHLBI exomes) and PolyPhen2/SIFT scores (>0.95) prioritized 5 indels (insertions/deletions) and 36 missense variants in the 12 multiplex families. After further validation by Sanger sequencing, segregation pattern, and evolutionary conservation of amino acid residues, we identified 4 variants in 4 different genes, which might lead to SNHI in 4 families compatible with autosomal dominant inheritance. These included GJB2 p.R75Q, MYO7A p.T381M, KCNQ4 p.S680F, and MYH9 p.E1256K. Among them, KCNQ4 p.S680F and MYH9 p.E1256K were novel. In conclusion, MPS allows genetic diagnosis in multiplex families with idiopathic SNHI by detecting mutations in relatively uncommon deafness genes.     

Targeted single molecule mutation detection with massively parallel sequencing

Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have transformed genomic research and have the potential to revolutionize clinical medicine. However, the background error rates of sequencing instruments and limitations in targeted read coverage have precluded the detection of rare DNA sequence variants by NGS. Here we describe a method, termed CypherSeq, which combines double-stranded barcoding error correction and rolling circle amplification (RCA)-based target enrichment to vastly improve NGS-based rare variant detection. The CypherSeq methodology involves the ligation of sample DNA into circular vectors, which contain double-stranded barcodes for computational error correction and adapters for library preparation and sequencing. CypherSeq is capable of detecting rare mutations genome-wide as well as those within specific target genes via RCA-based enrichment. We demonstrate that CypherSeq is capable of correcting errors incurred during library preparation and sequencing to reproducibly detect mutations down to a frequency of 2.4 × 10⁻⁷ per base pair, and report the frequency and spectra of spontaneous and ethyl methanesulfonate-induced mutations across the Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome.     

Whole-Exome Sequencing to Decipher the Genetic Heterogeneity of Hearing Loss in a Chinese Family with Deaf by Deaf Mating

Inherited deafness has been shown to have high genetic heterogeneity. For many decades, linkage analysis and candidate gene approaches have been the main tools to elucidate the genetics of hearing loss. However, this associated study design is costly, time-consuming, and unsuitable for small families. This is mainly due to the inadequate numbers of available affected individuals, locus heterogeneity, and assortative mating. Exome sequencing has now become technically feasible and a cost-effective method for detection of disease variants underlying Mendelian disorders due to the recent advances in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. In the present study, we have combined both the Deafness Gene Mutation Detection Array and exome sequencing to identify deafness causative variants in a large Chinese composite family with deaf by deaf mating. The simultaneous screening of the 9 common deafness mutations using the allele-specific PCR based universal array, resulted in the identification of the 1555A>G in the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 12S rRNA in affected individuals in one branch of the family. We then subjected the mutation-negative cases to exome sequencing and identified novel causative variants in the MYH14 and WFS1 genes. This report confirms the effective use of a NGS technique to detect pathogenic mutations in affected individuals who were not candidates for classical genetic studies.     

High‐efficient and precise base editing of C•G to T•A in the allotetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) genome using a modified CRISPR/Cas9 system

The base‐editing technique using CRISPR/nCas9 (Cas9 nickase) or dCas9 (deactivated Cas9) fused with cytidine deaminase is a powerful tool to create point mutations. In this study, a novel G. hirsutum‐Base Editor 3 (GhBE3) base‐editing system has been developed to create single‐base mutations in the allotetraploid genome of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). A cytidine deaminase sequence (APOBEC) fused with nCas9 and uracil glycosylase inhibitor (UGI) was inserted into our CRISPR/Cas9 plasmid (pRGEB32‐GhU6.7). Three target sites were chosen for two target genes, GhCLA and GhPEBP, to test the efficiency and accuracy of GhBE3. The editing efficiency ranged from 26.67 to 57.78% at the three target sites. Targeted deep sequencing revealed that the C→T substitution efficiency within an ‘editing window’, approximately six‐nucleotide windows of ?17 to ?12 bp from the PAM sequence, was up to 18.63% of the total sequences. The 27 most likely off‐target sites predicted by CRISPR‐P and Cas‐OFFinder tools were analysed by targeted deep sequencing, and it was found that rare C→T substitutions (average < 0.1%) were detected in the editing windows of these sites. Furthermore, whole‐genome sequencing analyses on two GhCLA‐edited and one wild‐type plants with about 100× depth showed that no bona fide off‐target mutations were detectable from 1500 predicted potential off‐target sites across the genome. In addition, the edited bases were inherited to T1 progeny. These results demonstrate that GhBE3 has high specificity and accuracy for the generation of targeted point mutations in allotetraploid cotton.     

Mutation screening in 86 known X-linked mental retardation genes by droplet-based multiplex PCR and massive parallel sequencing

Massive parallel sequencing has revolutionized the search for pathogenic variants in the human genome, but for routine diagnosis, re-sequencing of the complete human genome in a large cohort of patients is still far too expensive. Recently, novel genome partitioning methods have been developed that allow to target re-sequencing to specific genomic compartments, but practical experience with these methods is still limited. In this study, we have combined a novel droplet-based multiplex PCR method and next generation sequencing to screen patients with X-linked mental retardation (XLMR) for mutations in 86 previously identified XLMR genes. In total, affected males from 24 large XLMR families were analyzed, including three in whom the mutations were already known. Amplicons corresponding to functionally relevant regions of these genes were sequenced on an Illumina/Solexa Genome Analyzer II platform. Highly specific and uniform enrichment was achieved: on average, 67.9% unambiguously mapped reads were derived from amplicons, and for 88.5% of the targeted bases, the sequencing depth was sufficient to reliably detect variations. Potentially disease-causing sequence variants were identified in 10 out of 24 patients, including the three mutations that were already known, and all of these could be confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The robust performance of this approach demonstrates the general utility of droplet-based multiplex PCR for parallel mutation screening in hundreds of genes, which is a prerequisite for the diagnosis of mental retardation and other disorders that may be due to defects of a wide variety of genes. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11568-010-9137-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Protein Variants Form a System of Networks: Microdiversity of IMP Metallo-Beta-Lactamases

Genome and metagenome sequencing projects support the view that only a tiny portion of the total protein microdiversity in the biosphere has been sequenced yet, while the vast majority of existing protein variants is still unknown. By using a network approach, the microdiversity of 42 metallo-β-lactamases of the IMP family was investigated. In the networks, the nodes are formed by the variants, while the edges correspond to single mutations between pairs of variants. The 42 variants were assigned to 7 separate networks. By analyzing the networks and their relationships, the structure of sequence space was studied and existing, but still unknown, functional variants were predicted. The largest network consists of 10 variants with IMP-1 in its center and includes two ubiquitous mutations, V67F and S262G. By relating the corresponding pairs of variants, the networks were integrated into a single system of networks. The largest network also included a quartet of variants: IMP-1, two single mutants, and the respective double mutant. The existence of quartets indicates that if two mutations resulted in functional enzymes, the double mutant may also be active and stable. Therefore, quartet construction from triplets was applied to predict 15 functional variants. Further functional mutants were predicted by applying the two ubiquitous mutations in all networks. In addition, since the networks are separated from each other by 10–15 mutations on average, it is expected that a subset of the theoretical intermediates are functional, and therefore are supposed to exist in the biosphere. Finally, the network analysis helps to distinguish between epistatic and additive effects of mutations; while the presence of correlated mutations indicates a strong interdependency between the respective positions, the mutations V67F and S262G are ubiquitous and therefore background independent.     

Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography in the detection of ABCA1 gene mutations in familial HDL deficiency

Mutations in the ABCA1 gene are the cause of familial high density lipoprotein deficiency (FHD). Because these mutations are spread over the entire gene, their detection requires the sequencing of all 50 exons. The aim of this study was to validate denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) in mutation detection as an alternative to systematic sequencing. Exons of the ABCA1 gene were amplified using primers employed for sequencing. Temperatures for DHPLC were deducted from a software and empirically defined for each amplicon. To assess DHPLC reliability, we tested 30 sequence variants found in FHD patients and controls. Combined DHPLC and sequencing was applied to the genotyping of new FHD patients. Most of the amplicons required from two to five temperature conditions to obtain partially denatured DNA over the entire amplicon length. Twenty-nine of the variants found by sequencing were detected by DHPLC (97% sensitivity). The detection of the last variant (in exon 40) required different primers and amplification conditions. DHPLC and sequencing analysis of new FHD patients revealed that all amplicons showing a heteroduplex DHPLC profile contained sequence variants. No variants were detected in amplicons with a homoduplex profile. DHPLC is a sensitive and reliable method for the detection of ABCA1 gene mutations.     

Extensive Sequencing of the CFTR gene: lessons learned from the first 157 patient samples

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is one of the most common monogenic diseases affecting Caucasians and has an incidence of approximately 1:3,300 births. Currently recommended screening panels for mutations in the responsible gene (CF transmembrane regulator gene, CFTR) do not detect all disease-associated mutations. Our laboratory offers extensive sequencing of the CFTR (ABCC7) gene (including the promoter, all exons and splice junction sites, and regions of selected introns) as a clinical test to detect mutations which are not found with conventional screening. The objective of this report is to summarize the findings of extensive CFTR sequencing from our first 157 consecutive patient samples. In most patients with classic CF symptoms (18/24, 75%), extensive CFTR sequencing confirmed the diagnosis by finding two disease-associated mutations. In contrast, only 5 of 75 (7%) patients with atypical CF had been identified with two CFTR mutations. A diagnosis of CF was confirmed in 10 of 17 (58%) newborns with either positive sweat chloride readings or positive immunoreactive trypsinogen (IRT) screen results. We ascertained ten novel sequence variants that are potentially disease-associated: two deletions (c.1641AG>T, c.2949_2853delTACTC), seven missense mutations (p.S158T, p.G451V, p.K481E, p.C491S, p.H949L, p.T1036N, p.F1099L), and one complex allele ([p.356_A357del; p.358I]). We ascertained three other apparently novel complex alleles. Finally, several patients were found to carry partial CFTR gene deletions. In summary, extensive CFTR gene sequencing can detect rare mutations which are not found with other screening and diagnostic tests, and can thus establish a definitive diagnosis in symptomatic patients with previously negative results. This enables carrier detection and prenatal diagnosis in additional family members.     

Cystic fibrosis testing in a referral laboratory: results and lessons from a six-year period

Background

The recent introduction of high throughput sequencing technologies into clinical genetics has made it practical to simultaneously sequence many genes. In contrast, previous technologies limited sequencing based tests to only a handful of genes. While the ability to more accurately diagnose inherited diseases is a great benefit it introduces specific challenges. Interpretation of missense mutations continues to be challenging and the number of variants of uncertain significance continues to grow.

Results

We leveraged the data available at ARUP Laboratories, a major reference laboratory, for the CFTR gene to explore specific challenges related to variant interpretation, including a focus on understanding ethnic-specific variants and an evaluation of existing databases for clinical interpretation of variants. In this study we analyzed 555 patients representing eight different ethnic groups. We observed 184 different variants, most of which were ethnic group specific. Eighty-five percent of these variants were present in the Cystic Fibrosis Mutation Database, whereas the Human Mutation Database and dbSNP/1000 Genomes had far fewer of the observed variants. Finally, 21 of the variants were novel and we report these variants and their clinical classifications.

Conclusions

Based on our analyses of data from six years of CFTR testing at ARUP Laboratories a more comprehensive, clinical grade database is needed for the accurate interpretation of observed variants. Furthermore, there is a particular need for more and better information regarding variants from individuals of non-Caucasian ethnicity.     

Application of the C4'-alkylated deoxyribose primer system (CAPS) in allele-specific real-time PCR for increased selectivity in discrimination of single nucleotide sequence variants

This study describes a quantitative real-time PCR-based approach for discrimination of single nucleotide sequence variants, called CAPS (C4' alkylated primer system). To increase the discrimination potential of DNA polymerases against competing sequence variants of single nucleotides, 3'-terminally modified primers were designed carrying a methyl residue bound to the C4' of the thymidylate deoxyribose. In a model sequence system positional dependencies of modified thymidylate (at -1, -2, -3) were tested for their influence on discrimination. Highest discrimination factors were obtained with the modification at the ultimate 3'-position. In a comparison between Taq and Pwo DNA polymerases, substantial better results were obtained by Taq DNA polymerase. In contrast to conventional PCR methods for discrimination of sequence variants, achieving a maximum discrimination potential of about 20, CAPS is capable of obtaining sequence-specific amplifications of a desired target among discriminated templates with a dynamic range of 1:100. Therefore, CAPS is a method able to quantitatively discriminate two sequence variants only differing in a single base (e.g., SNP alleles or point mutations). The range of applications of this easy to perform, fast and reliable technique reaches from medical diagnostics, transplantation medicine, molecular and cell biology to human genetics. Targeting of SNPs assures a universal exertion of this method, since these markers are gender-independent, highly abundant and ubiquitous.     

Exomsequenzierung zur Identifizierung von Krankheitsgenen für seltene Syndrome

Background

Whole exome sequencing (WES) is the state-of-the-art method for identification of pathogenic mutations in patients with a Mendelian disorder. WES comprehensively covers the coding sequence of the genome and is a fast and cost-effective technique.

Purpose

As most of the technical difficulties have been overcome for WES, the major issue is data processing and analysis to find the pathogenic sequence variation among tens of thousands of sequence changes. Bioinformatic analysis pipelines for filtering sequence variants have to be adapted according to the patients and family members examined by WES and the most likely inheritance pattern underlying the disease.

Possible approaches

Based on 4 cases, different variant prioritization strategies which led to identification of the most likely causative changes in the index patients are described.     

Unlocking the Bottleneck in Forward Genetics Using Whole-Genome Sequencing and Identity by Descent to Isolate Causative Mutations

Forward genetics screens with N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) provide a powerful way to illuminate gene function and generate mouse models of human disease; however, the identification of causative mutations remains a limiting step. Current strategies depend on conventional mapping, so the propagation of affected mice requires non-lethal screens; accurate tracking of phenotypes through pedigrees is complex and uncertain; out-crossing can introduce unexpected modifiers; and Sanger sequencing of candidate genes is inefficient. Here we show how these problems can be efficiently overcome using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to detect the ENU mutations and then identify regions that are identical by descent (IBD) in multiple affected mice. In this strategy, we use a modification of the Lander-Green algorithm to isolate causative recessive and dominant mutations, even at low coverage, on a pure strain background. Analysis of the IBD regions also allows us to calculate the ENU mutation rate (1.54 mutations per Mb) and to model future strategies for genetic screens in mice. The introduction of this approach will accelerate the discovery of causal variants, permit broader and more informative lethal screens to be used, reduce animal costs, and herald a new era for ENU mutagenesis.     

Triplet nucleotide removal at random positions in a target gene: the tolerance of TEM-1 beta-lactamase to an amino acid deletion

The deletion of amino acids is one of the evolutionary mechanisms by which nature adapts the function of proteins. A simple method has been developed that mimics this event in vitro by introducing a deletion of exactly three nucleotides at random positions in a target gene. The method involved the engineering of the mini-Mu transposon to introduce a recognition sequence for the restriction enzyme MlyI. The new transposon, MuDel, was capable of efficient insertion into a target DNA sequence. To determine the efficacy of the method, the bla gene that encodes the TEM-1 beta-lactamase was used as the target and a small library containing 22 different sequence variants was created. Of these 22 variants, 8 were identified that conferred resistance to ampicillin on Escherichia coli. Each of the TEM-1 variants possessed a distinct ampicillin minimum inhibitory concentration, ranging from 500 to >10,000 microg/ml. Sequence analysis revealed that active TEM-1 variants contained deletions not just in loops but also helices, and included regions known to be involved in catalysis, antibiotic resistance and inhibitor binding. This new technology is transferable to most genes, permitting an extensive analysis of deletion mutations on protein function.     

Rapid detection of DNA sequence variants by conformation-sensitive capillary electrophoresis

The identification of novel sequence variants, which may be either disease-causing mutations or silent polymorphisms, in large numbers of samples is becoming the rate-limiting step in associating diseases with specific genes. This is particularly true in light of the imminent arrival of the complete reference sequence of the human genome. A number of techniques have been developed to analyze DNA samples for sequence variants rapidly. We describe a new technique, capillary-based conformation-sensitive gel electrophoresis (capillary CSGE) that transfers mutation detection from acrylamide gel to capillary electrophoresis. Capillary CSGE was able to detect 7/7 short insertion/deletions and 16/22 base substitutions in a series of random single-nucleotide polymorphisms and known variants in the lipoprotein lipase and BRCA2 genes. This technique has the potential to screen many megabases of DNA in a single day.     

RNA mutagenesis yields highly diverse mRNA libraries for <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis>protein evolution

Background  

In protein drug development, in vitro molecular optimization or protein maturation can be used to modify protein properties. One basic approach to protein maturation is the introduction of random DNA mutations into the target gene sequence to produce a library of variants that can be screened for the preferred protein properties. Unfortunately, the capability of this approach has been restricted by deficiencies in the methods currently available for random DNA mutagenesis and library generation. Current DNA based methodologies generally suffer from nucleotide substitution bias that preferentially mutate particular base pairs or show significant bias with respect to transitions or transversions. In this report, we describe a novel RNA-based random mutagenesis strategy that utilizes Qβ replicase to manufacture complex mRNA libraries with a mutational spectrum that is close to the ideal.     

Rodent models of genetic disease

The genetic study of rats and mice using natural variants, natural mutations, chemical or radiation induced mutations, engineered mutations and conditional engineered mutations has provided the tools for investigating the genetics of disease. The completion of the mouse genomic sequence and progress towards sequencing the rat genome in the past year will enable the molecular identification of quantitative trait loci and induced mutations. Sequence-based single nucleotide polymorphism discovery and a greater understanding of the haplotype structure of inbred strains is revitalising quantitative trait locus mapping and there are now plans for an ambitious eight-way recombinant inbred cross and renewed interest in existing resources such as heterogeneous stocks. In the past year there have been refinements to ENU mutagenesis approaches including balancer chromosomes and a new gene-driven approach.     

Targeted exome sequencing of unselected heavy‐ion beam‐irradiated populations reveals less‐biased mutation characteristics in the rice genome

Heavy‐ion beams have been widely utilized as a novel and effective mutagen for mutation breeding in diverse plant species, but the induced mutation spectrum is not fully understood at the genome scale. We describe the development of a multiplexed and cost‐efficient whole‐exome sequencing procedure in rice, and its application to characterize an unselected population of heavy‐ion beam‐induced mutations. The bioinformatics pipeline identified single‐nucleotide mutations as well as small and large (>63 kb) insertions and deletions, and showed good agreement with the results obtained with conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing analyses. We applied the procedure to analyze the mutation spectrum induced by heavy‐ion beams at the population level. In total, 165 individual M₂ lines derived from six irradiation conditions as well as eight pools from non‐irradiated ‘Nipponbare’ controls were sequenced using the newly established target exome sequencing procedure. The characteristics and distribution of carbon‐ion beam‐induced mutations were analyzed in the absence of bias introduced by visual mutant selections. The average (±SE) number of mutations within the target exon regions was 9.06 ± 0.37 induced by 150 Gy irradiation of dry seeds. The mutation frequency changed in parallel to the irradiation dose when dry seeds were irradiated. The total number of mutations detected by sequencing unselected M₂ lines was correlated with the conventional mutation frequency determined by the occurrence of morphological mutants. Therefore, mutation frequency may be a good indicator for sequencing‐based determination of the optimal irradiation condition for induction of mutations.