Whole genome sequence analysis of the first reported isolate of Salmonella Agona carrying blaCTX-M-55 gene in Brazil

This study analyzes the genomic findings of the first report of Salmonella isolate carrying the blaCTX-M-55 gene, recovered from a bacteremic patient from Brazil. A bacterial isolate positive for the blaCTX-M-55 gene was submitted to antimicrobial susceptibility testing by disk diffusion and epsilometric test. Whole genome sequencing was performed using Illumina technology. Conjugation assay was performed; plasmid sizes determined by S1-PFGE and plasmid content were investigated by hybrid assembly after MinION long reads sequencing. Isolate 288_18 was identified as sequence type ST13, resistant to ampicillin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime, cefepime, ceftriaxone, and aztreonam. A transferable IncFII plasmid sized approximately 67 kb was found to carry the blaTEM-1 and blaCTX-M-55 in a module consisting of IS26-blaTEM-1B-WbuC-blaCTX-M-55-IS26. In addition, an 117 kb IncI1plasmid was also identified in the 288_18 isolate, but without additional resistance genes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of blaCTX-M-55 in Salmonella isolated from human infection in Brazil. The occurrence of blaCTX-M-55 in the IncFII epidemic plasmid in a relevant clinical human isolate of Salmonella Agona underscores the urgent need for enhanced and effective continuous surveillance for controlling its dissemination.

Marcadores farmacogenéticos baseados em dados genômicos de uma coorte de idosos da cidade de São Paulo e o panorama da farmacogenômica no Brasil / Pharmacogenetic markers based on genomic data from a cohort of elderly individuals from the city of São Paulo and the landscape of pharmacogenomics research in Brazil

A medicina de precisão trata-se de uma área tem avançado rapidamente nos últimos anos, juntamente com o desenvolvimento de novas tecnologias de diagnóstico e tratamento, levando à minimização de efeitos colaterais relacionados ao tratamento melhoras nos resultados clínicos de forma geral. A pesquisa em farmacogenômica (PGx) desempenha um importante papel na área da medicina de precisão, ao investigar as variantes genéticas que modulam a resposta a fármacos, por meio de alterações em sua farmacocinética (PK) ou farmacodinâmica (PD). A distribuição de variantes de farmacogenes difere consideravelmente entre as populações e o sequenciamento genético completo em populações diversas (WGS, do inglês whole-genome sequencing) desempenha um papel importante como uma abordagem de sequenciamento abrangente para detectar variantes comuns e raras. Objetivo: Os objetivos gerais foram: i) verificar o panorama dos estudos brasileiros na área da PGx, em termos de metodologia de estudo e oportunidades potenciais na área de pesquisa no Brasil, e ii) avaliar a frequência de marcadores farmacogenéticos em idosos da cidade de São Paulo e avaliar a proporção de indivíduos potencialmente em alto risco de interações farmacogenéticas no ano de 2010. Métodos: Na primeira parte do trabalho, foi realizada uma revisão sistemática que buscou estudos brasileiros na área da PGx que analisaram a associação entre fármaco(s) e gene(s) que apresentam interesse especial na área da farmacogenética (VIPs, do inglês Very Important Pharmacogenes); foram incluídos 97 estudos para análise do texto completo. Na segunda parte do trabalho, a ferramenta Stargazer foi utilizada para identificar star alleles de 38 farmacogenes, utilizando o banco de dados de WGS de 1.171 indivíduos não-relacionado do estudo SABE (Estudo de Saúde, Bem-Estar e Envelhecimento). Resultados: Na revisão da literatura, 32 dos 65 VIPs foram analisados por estudos de associação na população brasileira. Noventa e seis eram estudos de genes candidatos e um era GWAS (do inglês, genome-wide association study). Agentes antitrombóticos, fármacos que atuam no sistema nervoso e no sistema cardiovascular foram as classes mais estudadas. Em geral, 68% eram estudos observacionais e 24% eram ensaios clínicos. A análise dos marcadores farmacogenéticos na coorte SABE mostrou que 352 haplótipos ou star alleles únicos foram observados em todos os 38 farmacogenes avaliados. Destes, 255 apresentaram frequência < 0,05 e 199 apresentaram frequência < 0,01; 70,1% dos star alleles foram classificados como tendo perda ou diminuição de função, ou função desconhecida. Para os onze farmacogenes com alto nível de evidência de interação com medicamentos (1A) segundo o Consórcio de Implementação de Farmacogenética Clínica (CPIC, do inglês Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium), verificou-se que mais de 99% dos indivíduos carregavam pelo menos um genótipo de alto risco. Segundo o registro de medicamentos da coorte, 22,5% dos indivíduos que utilizavam um medicamento com nível de evidência do 1A (CPIC) estavam potencialmente em risco de uma interação farmacogenética por possuírem um fenótipo predito que interage com o medicamento em uso. Conclusão: Populações miscigenadas ainda estão sub-representadas em grandes estudos genômicos, e este projeto pode contribuir com dados adicionais de para PGx na população brasileira.

The area of precision medicine is growing rapidly with advances in diagnostic and treatment options, leading to improvements in clinical outcomes and minimization of unnecessary side effects. Pharmacogenomics (PGx) plays an important role in precision medicine and deals with the variation of drug response due to genetic factors. Research in the field of PGx aims to identify genetic variants that modulate the response to drugs, through alterations in their pharmacokinetics (PK) or pharmacodynamics (PD). The distribution of PGx variants differs considerably among populations, and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) performed on diverse populations plays a major role as a comprehensive sequencing approach to detect both common and rare variants. Objective: This study evaluated i) the landscape of Brazilian PGx studies in terms of study methodology and potential opportunities in this research area in Brazil, and ii) the frequency PGx markers in a cohort of elderly individuals from the city of São Paulo, and the proportion of individuals at a potential high-risk for PGx interaction in 2010. Methods: In the first part of this research, a systematic review was performed to find Brazilian studies in the area of PGx which analyzed the association between drugs and very important pharmacogenes (VIP); 97 studies were included for full-texts review. In the second part, the tool Stargazer was used to call star alleles from 38 pharmacogenes using data from the Health, Well-Being, and Aging Study (SABE), which includes variants from whole-genome sequences of 1,171 unrelated individuals. Results: In the literature review, 32 out of 65 VIPs were analyzed by association studies in the Brazilian population. Ninety-six were candidate gene studies and one was GWAS. Antithrombotic agents, drugs that act on the nervous system, and the cardiovascular system were the most studied dugs. In general, 68% comprised observational studies and interventional clinical trials accounted for 24%. The analysis of PGx markers in the SABE cohort showed 352 unique star alleles or haplotypes in all 38 pharmacogenes assessed. Among these, 255 and 199 had a frequency < 0.05 and < 0.01, respectively, with decreased/ loss-of-function/ unknown function corresponding to 70.1%. For eleven pharmacogenes with high level of evidence (1A) supporting the association with drugs according to CPIC (Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium), more than 99% of the individuals carried at least one high risk genotype. According to cohort medication register from 2010 round of data collection, 22.5% of individuals using CPIC level 1A drugs were potentially at high risk for a pharmacogenetic interaction because they also had a predicted phenotype which interacts with the drug taken. Conclusion: Admixed populations are still underrepresented in large genomic studies, and this project could provide insights to PGx in those populations.

Molecular epidemiology of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Brazil before the whole genome sequencing era: a literature review

Molecular-typing can help in unraveling epidemiological scenarios and improvement for disease control strategies. A literature review of Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission in Brazil through genotyping on 56 studies published from 1996-2019 was performed. The clustering rate for mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units - variable tandem repeats (MIRU-VNTR) of 1,613 isolates were: 73%, 33% and 28% based on 12, 15 and 24-loci, respectively; while for RFLP-IS6110 were: 84% among prison population in Rio de Janeiro, 69% among multidrug-resistant isolates in Rio Grande do Sul, and 56.2% in general population in São Paulo. These findings could improve tuberculosis (TB) surveillance and set up a solid basis to build a database of Mycobacterium genomes.

Complete genome sequencing of Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae Biovar 3, P155, kiwifruit pathogen originating from China / Sequenciamento completo do genoma Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae Biovar 3, P155, agente patogênico do kiwi, originário da China

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae is a bacterial pathogen of kiwifruit. Based on the results of the pathogenicity assay, we sequenced the strain Pseudomonas syringae (Psa3) P155 which possesses a series of virulence and resistance genes, CRISPR candidate elements, prophage related sequences, methylation modifications, genomic islands as well as one plasmid. Most importantly, the copper resistance genes copA, copB, copC, copD, and copZ as well as aminoglycoside resistance gene ksgA were identified in strain P155, which would pose a threat to kiwifruit production. The complete sequence we reported here will provide valuable information for a better understanding of the genetic structure and pathogenic characteristics of the genome of P155.

Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae agente causal do cancro bacteriano do kiwi. Com base nos resultados do teste de patogenicidade, foi sequenciado um isolado de Pseudomonas syringae (Psa3) P155, que abriga a uma série de genes de virulência e resistência, elementos candidatos CRISPR, sequências relacionadas a profagos, modificações na metilação, ilhas genômicas, e também um plasmídeo. O mais importante foram os genes de resistência ao cobre, copA, copB, copC, copD e copZ, bem como, o gene de resistência aminoglicosídea ksgA identificados na estirpe P155, os quais representariam uma ameaça à produção de kiwi. A sequência completa relatada fornecerá informações valiosas para uma melhor compreensão da estrutura genética e as características patogênicas do genoma de P155.

Citogenética de las hemopatías malignas en la era de la secuenciación / Cytogenetics of malignant hemopathies in the sequencing era

Las neoplasias hematológicas se caracterizan por un gran número y complejidad de alteraciones genéticas, desde la formación de genes de fusión a partir de translocaciones e inversiones cromosómicas hasta mutaciones génicas y alteraciones epigenéticas que han permitido la identificación de nuevos oncogenes y genes supresores de tumores responsables de su etiología. Al abordar el estudio genético de las leucemias se utilizan múltiples técnicas como la citogenética convencional, citogenética molecular (hibridaciónin situ por fluorescencia (FISH), esta última con una mayor sensibilidad, especificidad y rapidez que permiten el diagnóstico, la estratificación pronóstica y seguimiento de la enfermedad. Las técnicas anteriores se integran con técnicas de biología molecular, secuenciación génica, entre otras, que permiten el hallazgo de nuevos marcadores genéticos con una mejor caracterización de las hemopatías malignas y la posibilidad del desarrollo de nuevos fármacos específicos que actúen sobre la diana molecular. El objetivo fue revisar la utilidad de la citogenética y la secuenciación génica en el estudio de la leucemia mieloide aguda y la leucemia linfocítica crónica. Ante las ventajas, desventajas y limitaciones de estas técnicas genéticas es necesario utilizarlas de forma complementaria y nunca excluyente(AU)

Hematological neoplasms are characterized by a large number and great complexity of genetic disorders, from the formation of fusion genes after chromosomal translocations and inversions to gene mutation and epigenetic disorders that have permitted the identification of new oncogenes and tumor-suppressing genes responsible for their etiology. When addressing the genetic study of leukemias, multiple techniques are used, such as conventional cytogenetics, molecular cytogenetics, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), the latter having the higher degree of sensitivity, specificity and speed, which allow diagnosis, prognostic stratification and follow-up of the disease. The previous techniques are integrated with molecular biology techniques, gene sequencing, among others, which allow discovery of new genetic markers with better characterization of malignant hemopathies and the possibility of developing new specific drugs against the molecular target. The objective was to review the usefulness of cytogenetics and gene sequencing in the study of acute myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Given the advantages, disadvantages and limitations of these genetic techniques, it is necessary to use them in as complementary but never exclusive management ways(AU)

Diversidad molecular de variantes patogénicas de Vibrio parahaemolyticus en el Perú / Molecular diversity in pathogenic variants of vibrio parahaemolyticus in Peru

RESUMEN Con el objetivo de determinar la diversidad de variantes patogénicas de Vibrio parahaemolyticus en el Perú durante el periodo 1995-2017, se analizaron 102 genomas peruanos (97 clínicos y 5 ambientales) empleando el esquema de tipificación multilocus y BLASTn para la búsqueda de genes de virulencia. Se identificaron 15 tipos de secuencia diferentes, encontrándose que el genotipo ST3, perteneciente al clon pandémico, fue el más abundante, con 52% (n=53); seguido por el ST120, con 23,5% (n=24); y el complejo clonal CC345, con 11,8% (n=12). Un total de 89 cepas analizadas presentaron genes que codifican la isla de patogenicidad VpaI-7 (87,3%), mientras que 96 presentaron el gen tdh (94,1%), y 6, el trh (5,9%). Durante el periodo evaluado, se resalta la predominancia del ST3, causante de un importante brote en el pasado del Perú, además de otros genotipos patógenos que representan un riesgo latente en salud pública asociado al consumo de alimentos marinos.

ABSTRACT During the period from 1995 to 2017, in order to determine the diversity of Vibrio parahaemolyticus pathogenic variants in Peru, 102 Peruvian genomes (97 from a hospital setting and 5 from an out-of-hospital setting) were analyzed using the multilocus typification scheme and BLASTn in the search for virulence genes. Fifteen different sequence types were identified. It was found that the ST3 genotype, which is found in the pandemic clone, was the most abundant, with 52% (n=53); followed by ST120, with 23.5% (n=24); and the CC345 clonal complex, with 11.8% (n=12). A total of 89 analyzed strains presented genes encoding the pathogenicity island VpaI-7 (87.3%), while 96 presented the tdh gene (94.1%), and 6 the trh gene (5.9%). The ST3 genotype was the predominant one during the evaluated period, this genotype was the cause of a major outbreak in Peru's past history. Other pathogenic genotypes found represent a latent public health risk associated with seafood consumption.

Evaluation of drug susceptibility profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Lineage 1 from Brazil based on whole genome sequencing and phenotypic methods

BACKGROUND The evaluation of procedures for drug susceptibility prediction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis based on genomic data against the conventional reference method test based on culture is realistic considering the scenario of growing number of tools proposals based on whole-genome sequences (WGS). OBJECTIVES This study aimed to evaluate drug susceptibility testing (DST) outcome based on WGS tools and the phenotypic methods performed on isolates of M. tuberculosis Lineage 1 from the state of Pará, Brazil, generally associated with low levels of drug resistance. METHODOLOGY Culture based DST was performed using the Proportion Method in Löwenstein-Jensen medium on 71 isolates that had been submitted to WGS. We analysed the seven main genome sequence-based tools for resistance and lineage prediction applied to M. tuberculosis and for comparison evaluation we have used the Kappa concordance test. FINDINGS When comparing the WGS-based tools against the DST, we observed the highest level of agreement using TB-profiler. Among the tools, TB-profiler, KvarQ and Mykrobe were those which identified the largest number of TB-MDR cases. Comparing the four most sensitive tools regarding resistance prediction, agreement was observed for 43 genomes. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Drug resistance profiling using next-generation sequencing offers rapid assessment of resistance-associated mutations, therefore facilitating rapid access to effective treatment.

Development of nuclear SSR and chloroplast genome markers in diverse Liriodendron chinense germplasm based on low-coverage whole genome sequencing

BACKGROUND: Liriodendron chinense ranges widely in subtropical China and northern Vietnam; however, it inhabits several small, isolated populations and is now an endangered species due to its limited seed production. The objective of this study was to develop a set of nuclear SSR (simple sequence repeats) and multiple chloroplast genome markers for genetic studies in L. chinense and their characterization in diverse germplasm. RESULTS: We performed low-coverage whole genome sequencing of the L. chinense from four genotypes, assembled the chloroplast genome and identified nuclear SSR loci by searching in contigs for SSR motifs. Comparative analysis of the four chloroplast genomes of L. chinense revealed 45 SNPs, 17 indels, 49 polymorphic SSR loci, and five small inversions. Most chloroplast intraspecific polymorphisms were located in the interspaces of single-copy regions. In total, 6147 SSR markers were isolated from low-coverage whole genome sequences. The most common SSR motifs were dinucleotide (70.09%), followed by trinucleotide motifs (23.10%). The motif AG/TC (33.51%) was the most abundant, followed by TC/AG (25.53%). A set of 13 SSR primer combinations were tested for amplification and their ability to detect polymorphisms in a set of 109 L. chinense individuals, representing distinct varieties or germplasm. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 8 to 28 with an average of 21 alleles. The expected heterozygosity (He) varied from 0.19 to 0.93 and the observed heterozygosity (Ho) ranged from 0.11 to 0.79. CONCLUSIONS: The genetic resources characterized and tested in this study provide a valuable tool to detect polymorphisms in L. chinense for future genetic studies and breeding programs.

Improving crops genome through genetic engineering of the key metabolic pathways

Soybean loss due to pests and pathogens is a serious problem worldwide. Soybean producers have few options to manage diseases caused by general pathogens where major genes for full resistance have not been discovered. The innate defense of soybean plants could be enhanced by improving content and composition of lignin by genetic engineering of the phenylpropanoid pathway.We used a novel technique of germ-line genetic transformation of soybean plants via natural pollen tubes as vectors. This technique uses Agrobacterium tumefaciensto mediate transfer of genes of interest to the zygote to introduce the key lignification genes (PtMYB4, PAL5, F5H, CAD1) into soybean genome. We observed 5.6% average transformation efficiency in the first generation of transgenic plants and in the second generation the presence of the transgene constructs was confirmed in more than 50% (for CsVMV/PtMYB4sens, 35SVTM/PAL5, C4H/F5H, CsVMV/CAD1constructs) transgenic soybean lines. We confirmed the expression of the introduced genes at transcriptional level using RT-PCR and Northern blot. Functional analysis using lignin content determination and the activity of PAL5 and CAD1 enzymes demonstrated that the transgenes perform their function in planta. The proposed technique is effectiveand inexpensive and can be used to create novel stress and disease resistant soybean genotypes.

Use of uracil-DNA glycosylase enzyme to reduce DNA-related artifacts from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues in diagnostic routine

Background: Detection of somatic mutations is a mandatory practice for therapeutic definition in precision oncology. However, somatic mutation detection protocols use DNA from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor tissues, which can result in detection of nonreproducible sequence artifacts, especially C:G > T:A transitions, in DNA. In recent studies, DNA pretreatment with uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG), an enzyme involved in base excision repair, significantly reduced the number of DNA artifacts after mutation detection by next-generation sequencing (NGS) and other methods, without affecting the capacity to detect real mutations. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of UDG enzymatic pretreatment in reducing the number of DNA sequencing artifacts from FFPE tumor samples, to improve the accuracy of genetic testing in the molecular diagnostic routine. Methods: We selected 12 FFPE tumor samples (10 melanoma, 1 lung, and 1 colorectal tumor sample) with different storage times. We compared sequencing results of a 16-hotspot gene panel of NGS libraries prepared with UDG-treated and untreated samples. Results: All UDG-treated samples showed large reductions in the total number of transitions (medium reduction of 80%) and the transition/transversion ratio (medium reduction of 75%). In addition, most sequence artifacts presented a low variant allele frequency (VAF < 10%) which are eliminated with UDG treatment. Conclusion: Including UDG enzymatic treatment before multiplex amplification in the NGS workflow significantly decreased the number of artifactual variants detected in FFPE samples. Thus, including this additional step in the current methodology should improve the rate of true mutation detection in the molecular diagnostic routine.

Guía de Procedimientos Operacionales y Recomendaciones en la Implementación de Secuenciación de Nueva Generación para Diagnóstico Clínico / Standard Operational Procedures and Rec ommendations on Next Generation Sequenc ing for Clinic al Diagnostics

La tecnología diagnóstica conocida como NGS por sus siglas en inglés, o Secuenciación de nueva generación, es relativamente nueva, y se está implementando en algunos hospitales de Panamá. Esta tecnología ha demostrado ser una herramienta muy eficiente para la detección de alteraciones genómicas o exómicas, tanto para la clínica como para la investigación. Dada la complejidad de esta prueba, requiere una infraestructura y un número importante de recursos humanos capacitados para poder implementar esta prueba. El propósito de este documento es establecer un marco de referencia para los procedimientos administrativos en cuanto a la realización de las pruebas de secuenciación por metodología NGS. Además, que el mismo sirva de guía para el establecimiento adecuado de programas internos de control y evaluación de calidad de esta tecnología en nuestro país y la región

The technology known as Next­Generation sequencing is relatively new, and it is been implemented in some Panamanian hospitals. It has demonstrated to be a very efficient tool to identify genomic and exomic variants in a clinical setting, as well for research purposes. Because of its complexity, it requires an important infrastructure and a significant number of trained health­care professionals to carry out this test. The purpose of this document is to establish a frame for the administrative and tec hnical aspects for NGS in a clinical setting. Moreover, it will serve as a guide to establish quality control procedures that the technology requires in our country and the region.

Abordaje de las cardiopatías familiares desde la Medicina genómica / Approach to familial heart diseases from Genomic Medicine

Resumen Las cardiopatías familiares son un grupo de enfermedades con alta heterogeneidad clínica y genética. Debido a que pueden heredarse y a su asociación con la muerte súbita, se recomienda efectuar un estudio clínico y genético del individuo afectado y su familia a través de una unidad especializada. Con la implementación de la secuenciación masiva se ha facilitado el acceso a los estudios genéticos en la práctica clínica de forma más rutinaria. Sin embargo, dada la gran cantidad de información obtenida se hacen necesarios el análisis y la interpretación adecuada de los resultados para garantizar un diagnóstico correcto. Este nuevo modelo de medicina amplía nuestra comprensión sobre estas patologías, gracias a que optimiza el diagnóstico, da una mejor aproximación pronóstica de los pacientes e identifica individuos asintomáticos en riesgo. Este artículo pretende realizar una revisión de la arquitectura genética de las enfermedades cardíacas hereditarias y proporcionar un enfoque práctico acerca de la utilidad de la Medicina genómica en el diagnóstico, la estratificación del riesgo y el estudio familiar en pacientes con este tipo de patologías.

Abstract The familial heart diseases are a group of diseases with high clinical and genomic heterogeneity. As they can be inherited and are associated with sudden death, it is recommended to perform a clinical and genetic study of the individual affected, as well as the family, in a specialised unit. The implementation of massive sequencing has meant that access to genetic studies is available in the most routine clinical practice. However, due to the large amount of information obtained, the results have to analysed and interpreted to ensure a correct diagnosis. This new medicine model widens the understanding of these diseases, as due to the diagnosis being optimised, it provides a more accurate prognosis for the patients, and identifies asymptomatic individuals at risk. A review is presented on the genetic architecture of heritable heart disease and provides a practical approach on the usefulness of Genomic Medicine in the diagnosis, risk stratification, and the familial study in patients with these types of heart diseases.

Alterações genômicas no carcinoma adrenocortical de pacientes portadores da Síndrome de Li-Fraumeni / Genomic alterations profile in adrenocortical carcinoma of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome patients

A Síndrome de Li Fraumeni (LFS) tem caráter autossômico dominante associada ao risco aumentado de câncer hereditário. Embora rara no mundo, no Brasil é frequente devido à ocorrência de uma mutação fundadora, a p.R337H TP53. A ocorrência de câncer e a idade de acometimento são variáveis mesmo em portadores da mesma mutação. Pacientes com mutações no gene TP53 podem desenvolver um amplo espectro de tumores, incluindo o carcinoma adrenocortical (ADR). Os mecanismos moleculares envolvidos na carcinogênese adrenocortical assim como os dados epidemiológicos associados a estes tumores são pouco explorados em literatura. Neste estudo, foram coletados e analisados os dados epidemiológicos dos ADR incluindo os efeitos de idade, período e coorte utilizando o banco de dados SEER, o qual reúne dados de 18 registros de câncer de base populacional dos EUA. Foi avaliado o perfil de alterações genômicas (CytoScan HD Array, Affymetrix) em ADR de pacientes com e sem a mutação p.R337H. Foi também comparado o perfil mutacional (sequenciamento do genoma) de três pacientes (tumor e tecido normal de 2 adultos e 1 criança) com ADR portadores da mutação TP53 p.R337H. Entre os casos de ADR diagnosticados nos EUA, aproximadamente 80% ocorreram após a quarta década de vida. Nas análises de sobrevida, houve diferença estatística (p<0,05) para gênero, com uma melhor sobrevida para as mulheres. Pacientes diagnosticados até os 19 anos e com doença localizada apresentaram uma sobrevida maior. A análise genômica em sete casos revelou 644 alterações. Os três casos positivos para a mutação p.R337H apresentaram 175 alterações genômicas (127 ganhos, 27 cnLOH e 21 perdas). Os quatros casos negativos para a mutação apresentaram 469 alterações (326 ganhos, 63 cnLOH e 80 perdas). Apesar do pequeno número amostral, os casos ADR positivos para a mutação TP53 p.R337H apresentaram um baixo nível de instabilidade genômica quando comparados com os casos não mutados. A análise de sequenciamento do genoma revelou alterações em genes previamente associados o ADR (como TP53, CTNNB1 e ATRX). Foram identificadas alterações em cinco genes com potencial associação ao desenvolvimento do ADR: HBB, MSR1, SH3TC2, LSS e ABCA4. Apesar do pequeno número amostral, foram identificados novos genes que podem estar associados ao ADR, no entanto esses achados deverão ser confirmados em estudos conduzidos em um grupo amostral maior (AU)

Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is an autosomal dominant disease with high risk to develop hereditary tumors. Although LFS is a worldwide rare disorder, in Brazil its incidence is higher due to the occurrence of a founder mutation, TP53 p.R337H. The cancer occurrence and age of onset are variable even considering patients with the same mutation. Patients carrying TP53 mutations can develop a large spectrum of tumors, including the adrenocortical carcinoma (ADR). The main molecular mechanisms and the epidemiological factors associated with these tumors are poorly explored in literature. In this study, epidemiological data of ADR were collected and analyzed, including the effects of age, period and cohort. The SEER database, which collects and publishes cancer incidence and survival data from 18 cancer registries from the USA, was used for this analysis. The genomic profile (CytoScan HD Array, Affymetrix) of ADR positive or negative for TP53 p.R337H was also investigated. Furthermore, the mutational profile (Whole Genome Sequencing- WGS) of three ADR patients (normal and tumor samples - 2 adults and 1 pediatric case), all of them positive for TP53 p.R337H mutation, were analyzed. Approximately 80% of the ADR cases diagnosed in the USA developed after the fourth decade of life. In the survival analyses, a statistical difference (p <0.05) was observed for gender, with women showing better survival. Patients diagnosed up to the age of 19 and with localized disease presented better survival. The genomic analysis of seven cases revealed 644 genomic alterations. The three TP53 p.R337H positive cases showed 175 genomic alterations (127 gains, 27 cnLOH and 21 losses). The four negative mutated cases presented 469 alterations (369 gains, 63 cnLOH and 80 losses). Despite the small set of samples, mutated cases presented lower level of chromosome instability compared to cases not carrying this mutation. The WGS analysis identified alterations in genes previously associated with ADR (as TP53, CTNNB1 and ATRX). In addition, five genes (HBB, MSR1, SH3TC2, LSS and ABCA4) potentially associated with the development of ADR were identified. This study revealed new genes that might be associated with ADR. However, further analysis are necessary in a larger number of samples to confirm our findings (AU)

Whole genome sequence of lactic acid bacterium Pediococcus acidilactici strain S1

Abstract Pediococcus acidilactici strain S1, a lactic acid-fermenting bacterium, was isolated from makgeolli-a Korean traditional fermented alcoholic beverage. Here we report the 1,980,172 bp (G + C content, 42%) genome sequence of Pediococcus acidilactici strain S1 with 1,525 protein-coding sequences (CDS), of which 47% could be assigned to recognized functional genes. The genome sequence of the strain S1 might provide insights into the genetic basis of the lactic acid bacterium with alcohol-tolerant.

RestrictionDigest: A powerful Perl module for simulating genomic restriction digests

Background: Reduced-representation sequencing technology is widely used in genotyping for its economical and efficient features. A popular way to construct the reduced-representation sequencing libraries is to digest the genomic DNA with restriction enzymes. A key factor of this method is to determine the restriction enzyme(s). But there are few computer programs which can evaluate the usability of restriction enzymes in reduced-representation sequencing. SimRAD is an R package which can simulate the digestion of DNA sequence by restriction enzymes and return enzyme loci number as well as fragment number. But for linkage mapping analysis, enzyme loci distribution is also an important factor to evaluate the enzyme. For phylogenetic studies, comparison of the enzyme performance across multiple genomes is important. It is strongly needed to develop a simulation tool to implement these functions. Results: Here, we introduce a Perl module named RestrictionDigest with more functions and improved performance. It can analyze multiple genomes at one run and generate concise comparison of enzyme performance across the genomes. It can simulate single-enzyme digestion, double-enzyme digestion and size selection process and generate comprehensive information of the simulation including enzyme loci number, fragment number, sequences of the fragments, positions of restriction sites on the genome, the coverage of digested fragments on different genome regions and detailed fragment length distribution. Conclusions: RestrictionDigest is an easy-to-use Perl module with flexible parameter settings. With the help of the information produced by the module, researchers can easily determine the most appropriate enzymes to construct the reduced-representation libraries to meet their experimental requirements.