5' isomiR variation is of functional and evolutionary importance.

We have sequenced miRNA libraries from human embryonic, neural and foetal mesenchymal stem cells. We report that the majority of miRNA genes encode mature isomers that vary in size by one or more bases at the 3' and/or 5' end of the miRNA. Northern blotting for individual miRNAs showed that the proportions of isomiRs expressed by a single miRNA gene often differ between cell and tissue types. IsomiRs were readily co-immunoprecipitated with Argonaute proteins in vivo and were active in luciferase assays, indicating that they are functional. Bioinformatics analysis predicts substantial differences in targeting between miRNAs with minor 5' differences and in support of this we report that a 5' isomiR-9-1 gained the ability to inhibit the expression of DNMT3B and NCAM2 but lost the ability to inhibit CDH1 in vitro. This result was confirmed by the use of isomiR-specific sponges. Our analysis of the miRGator database indicates that a small percentage of human miRNA genes express isomiRs as the dominant transcript in certain cell types and analysis of miRBase shows that 5' isomiRs have replaced canonical miRNAs many times during evolution. This strongly indicates that isomiRs are of functional importance and have contributed to the evolution of miRNA genes.

Epigenetic regulation of COL15A1 in smooth muscle cell replicative aging and atherosclerosis.

Smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation is a hallmark of vascular injury and disease. Global hypomethylation occurs during SMC proliferation in culture and in vivo during neointimal formation. Regardless of the programmed or stochastic nature of hypomethylation, identifying these changes is important in understanding vascular disease, as maintenance of a cells' epigenetic profile is essential for maintaining cellular phenotype. Global hypomethylation of proliferating aortic SMCs and concomitant decrease of DNMT1 expression were identified in culture during passage. An epigenome screen identified regions of the genome that were hypomethylated during proliferation and a region containing Collagen, type XV, alpha 1 (COL15A1) was selected by 'genomic convergence' for characterization. COL15A1 transcript and protein levels increased with passage-dependent decreases in DNA methylation and the transcript was sensitive to treatment with 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine, suggesting DNA methylation-mediated gene expression. Phenotypically, knockdown of COL15A1 increased SMC migration and decreased proliferation and Col15a1 expression was induced in an atherosclerotic lesion and localized to the atherosclerotic cap. A sequence variant in COL15A1 that is significantly associated with atherosclerosis (rs4142986, P = 0.017, OR = 1.434) was methylated and methylation of the risk allele correlated with decreased gene expression and increased atherosclerosis in human aorta. In summary, hypomethylation of COL15A1 occurs during SMC proliferation and the consequent increased gene expression may impact SMC phenotype and atherosclerosis formation. Hypomethylated genes, such as COL15A1, provide evidence for concomitant epigenetic regulation and genetic susceptibility, and define a class of causal targets that sit at the intersection of genetic and epigenetic predisposition in the etiology of complex disease.

FRT-seq: amplification-free, strand-specific transcriptome sequencing.

We report an alternative approach to transcriptome sequencing for the Illumina Genome Analyzer, in which the reverse transcription reaction takes place on the flowcell. No amplification is performed during the library preparation, so PCR biases and duplicates are avoided, and because the template is poly(A)(+) RNA rather than cDNA, the resulting sequences are necessarily strand-specific. The method is compatible with paired- or single-end sequencing.

A HaemAtlas: characterizing gene expression in differentiated human blood cells.

Hematopoiesis is a carefully controlled process that is regulated by complex networks of transcription factors that are, in part, controlled by signals resulting from ligand binding to cell-surface receptors. To further understand hematopoiesis, we have compared gene expression profiles of human erythroblasts, megakaryocytes, B cells, cytotoxic and helper T cells, natural killer cells, granulocytes, and monocytes using whole genome microarrays. A bioinformatics analysis of these data was performed focusing on transcription factors, immunoglobulin superfamily members, and lineage-specific transcripts. We observed that the numbers of lineage-specific genes varies by 2 orders of magnitude, ranging from 5 for cytotoxic T cells to 878 for granulocytes. In addition, we have identified novel coexpression patterns for key transcription factors involved in hematopoiesis (eg, GATA3-GFI1 and GATA2-KLF1). This study represents the most comprehensive analysis of gene expression in hematopoietic cells to date and has identified genes that play key roles in lineage commitment and cell function. The data, which are freely accessible, will be invaluable for future studies on hematopoiesis and the role of specific genes and will also aid the understanding of the recent genome-wide association studies.

CARM1 is required in embryonic stem cells to maintain pluripotency and resist differentiation.

Histone H3 methylation at R17 and R26 recently emerged as a novel epigenetic mechanism regulating pluripotency in mouse embryos. Blastomeres of four-cell embryos with high H3 methylation at these sites show unrestricted potential, whereas those with lower levels cannot support development when aggregated in chimeras of like cells. Increasing histone H3 methylation, through expression of coactivator-associated-protein-arginine-methyltransferase 1 (CARM1) in embryos, elevates expression of key pluripotency genes and directs cells to the pluripotent inner cell mass. We demonstrate CARM1 is also required for the self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem (ES) cells. In ES cells, CARM1 depletion downregulates pluripotency genes leading to their differentiation. CARM1 associates with Oct4/Pou5f1 and Sox2 promoters that display detectable levels of R17/26 histone H3 methylation. In CARM1 overexpressing ES cells, histone H3 arginine methylation is also at the Nanog promoter to which CARM1 now associates. Such cells express Nanog at elevated levels and delay their response to differentiation signals. Thus, like in four-cell embryo blastomeres, histone H3 arginine methylation by CARM1 in ES cells allows epigenetic modulation of pluripotency.

Microarray-based cytogenetic profiling reveals recurrent and subtype-associated genomic copy number aberrations in feline sarcomas.

Injection-site-associated sarcomas (ISAS), commonly arising at the site of routine vaccine administration, afflict as many as 22,000 domestic cats annually in the USA. These tumors are typically more aggressive and prone to recurrence than spontaneous sarcomas (non-ISAS), generally receiving a poorer long-term prognosis and warranting a more aggressive therapeutic approach. Although certain clinical and histological factors are highly suggestive of ISAS, timely diagnosis and optimal clinical management may be hindered by the absence of definitive markers that can distinguish between tumors with underlying injection-related etiology and their spontaneous counterpart. Specific nonrandom chromosome copy number aberrations (CNAs) have been associated with the clinical behavior of a vast spectrum of human tumors, providing an extensive resource of potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Although similar principles are now being applied with great success in other species, their relevance to feline molecular oncology has not yet been investigated in any detail. We report the construction of a genomic microarray platform for detection of recurrent CNAs in feline tumors through cytogenetic assignment of 210 large-insert DNA clones selected at intervals of approximately 15 Mb from the feline genome sequence assembly. Microarray-based profiling of 19 ISAS and 27 non-ISAS cases identified an extensive range of genomic imbalances that were highly recurrent throughout the combined panel of 46 sarcomas. Deletions of two specific regions were significantly associated with the non-ISAS phenotype. Further characterization of these regions may ultimately permit molecular distinction between ISAS and non-ISAS, as a tool for predicting tumor behavior and prognosis, as well as refining means for therapeutic intervention.

Influence of genetic background on tumor karyotypes: evidence for breed-associated cytogenetic aberrations in canine appendicular osteosarcoma.

Recurrent chromosomal aberrations in solid tumors can reveal the genetic pathways involved in the evolution of a malignancy and in some cases predict biological behavior. However, the role of individual genetic backgrounds in shaping karyotypes of sporadic tumors is unknown. The genetic structure of purebred dog breeds, coupled with their susceptibility to spontaneous cancers, provides a robust model with which to address this question. We tested the hypothesis that there is an association between breed and the distribution of genomic copy number imbalances in naturally occurring canine tumors through assessment of a cohort of Golden Retrievers and Rottweilers diagnosed with spontaneous appendicular osteosarcoma. Our findings reveal significant correlations between breed and tumor karyotypes that are independent of gender, age at diagnosis, and histological classification. These data indicate for the first time that individual genetic backgrounds, as defined by breed in dogs, influence tumor karyotypes in a cancer with extensive genomic instability.

Genomic and epigenetic evidence for oxytocin receptor deficiency in autism.

BACKGROUND: Autism comprises a spectrum of behavioral and cognitive disturbances of childhood development and is known to be highly heritable. Although numerous approaches have been used to identify genes implicated in the development of autism, less than 10% of autism cases have been attributed to single gene disorders. METHODS: We describe the use of high-resolution genome-wide tilepath microarrays and comparative genomic hybridization to identify copy number variants within 119 probands from multiplex autism families. We next carried out DNA methylation analysis by bisulfite sequencing in a proband and his family, expanding this analysis to methylation analysis of peripheral blood and temporal cortex DNA of autism cases and matched controls from independent datasets. We also assessed oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene expression within the temporal cortex tissue by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS: Our analysis revealed a genomic deletion containing the oxytocin receptor gene, OXTR (MIM accession no.: 167055), previously implicated in autism, was present in an autism proband and his mother who exhibits symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. The proband's affected sibling did not harbor this deletion but instead may exhibit epigenetic misregulation of this gene through aberrant gene silencing by DNA methylation. Further DNA methylation analysis of the CpG island known to regulate OXTR expression identified several CpG dinucleotides that show independent statistically significant increases in the DNA methylation status in the peripheral blood cells and temporal cortex in independent datasets of individuals with autism as compared to control samples. Associated with the increase in methylation of these CpG dinucleotides is our finding that OXTR mRNA showed decreased expression in the temporal cortex tissue of autism cases matched for age and sex compared to controls. CONCLUSION: Together, these data provide further evidence for the role of OXTR and the oxytocin signaling pathway in the etiology of autism and, for the first time, implicate the epigenetic regulation of OXTR in the development of the disorder.See the related commentary by Gurrieri and Neri: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/7/63.

'Putting our heads together': insights into genomic conservation between human and canine intracranial tumors.

Numerous attributes render the domestic dog a highly pertinent model for cancer-associated gene discovery. We performed microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization analysis of 60 spontaneous canine intracranial tumors to examine the degree to which dog and human patients exhibit aberrations of ancestrally related chromosome regions, consistent with a shared pathogenesis. Canine gliomas and meningiomas both demonstrated chromosome copy number aberrations (CNAs) that share evolutionarily conserved synteny with those previously reported in their human counterpart. Interestingly, however, genomic imbalances orthologous to some of the hallmark aberrations of human intracranial tumors, including chromosome 22/NF2 deletions in meningiomas and chromosome 1p/19q deletions in oligodendrogliomas, were not major events in the dog. Furthermore, and perhaps most significantly, we identified highly recurrent CNAs in canine intracranial tumors for which the human orthologue has been reported previously at low frequency but which have not, thus far, been associated intimately with the pathogenesis of the tumor. The presence of orthologous CNAs in canine and human intracranial cancers is strongly suggestive of their biological significance in tumor development and/or progression. Moreover, the limited genetic heterogenity within purebred dog populations, coupled with the contrasting organization of the dog and human karyotypes, offers tremendous opportunities for refining evolutionarily conserved regions of tumor-associated genomic imbalance that may harbor novel candidate genes involved in their pathogenesis. A comparative approach to the study of canine and human intracranial tumors may therefore provide new insights into their genetic etiology, towards development of more sophisticated molecular subclassification and tailored therapies in both species.

Identification of variation in the platelet transcriptome associated with glycoprotein 6 haplotype.

Platelet Glycoprotein VI (GPVI) is the activatory collagen signalling receptor that transmits an outside-in signal via the FcR gamma-chain. In Caucasians two GP6 haplotypes have been identified which encode GPVI isoforms that differ by five amino-acids. The minor haplotype is associated with a modest but statistically significant reduction in GPVI abundance and reduced downstream signalling events. As GPVI is also expressed on megakaryocytes, different GPVI isoforms may imprint on the platelet transcriptome. We investigated the association of GP6 haplotype with transcription by comparing the transcriptomes of platelets from individuals homozygous for the major ('a') and minor ('b') haplotypes to identify differentially expressed (DE) transcripts. Platelet RNA was isolated from apheresis concentrates from 16 'aa' donors and eight 'bb' donors. mRNA was amplified using a template-switching PCR based protocol and fluorescently labelled. Samples were randomly paired both within and between haplotypes and compared on a cDNA microarray. No consistently DE transcripts were identified within the 'aa' haplotype but 52 significantly DE transcripts were observed between haplotypes. Generally the fold differences were low (two to four-fold) but were confirmed by qRT-PCR for selected transcripts (TUBB1, P = 0.0004; VWF, P = 0.0126). The results of this study indicate that there are subtle differences between the platelet transcriptomes of individuals who differ by GP6 haplotype. The identification of DE genes may identify critical pathways and nodes not previously known to be involved in platelet development and function.

Comprehensive DNA copy number profiling of meningioma using a chromosome 1 tiling path microarray identifies novel candidate tumor suppressor loci.

Meningiomas are common neoplasms of the meninges lining of the central nervous system. Deletions of 1p have been established as important for the initiation and/or progression of meningioma. The rationale of this array-CGH study was to characterize copy number imbalances of chromosome 1 in meningioma, using a full-coverage genomic microarray containing 2,118 distinct measurement points. In total, 82 meningiomas were analyzed, making this the most detailed analysis of chromosome 1 in a comprehensive series of tumors. We detected a broad range of aberrations, such as deletions and/or gains of various sizes. Deletions were the predominant finding and ranged from monosomy to a 3.5-Mb terminal 1p homozygous deletion. Although multiple aberrations were observed across chromosome 1, every meningioma in which imbalances were detected harbored 1p deletions. Tumor heterogeneity was also observed in three recurrent meningiomas, which most likely reflects a progressive loss of chromosomal segments at different stages of tumor development. The distribution of aberrations supports the existence of at least four candidate loci on chromosome 1, which are important for meningioma tumorigenesis. In one of these regions, our results already allow the analysis of a number of candidate genes. In a large series of cases, we observed an association between the presence of segmental duplications and deletion breakpoints, which suggests their role in the generation of these tumor-specific aberrations. As 1p is the site of the genome most frequently affected by tumor-specific aberrations, our results indicate loci of general importance for cancer development and progression.

Gene expression profiling in polycythemia vera using cDNA microarray technology.

Polycythemia vera (PV) is a myeloproliferative disorder characterized by an increased proliferation of all three myeloid lineages. The molecular pathogenesis of PV is unknown. Using cDNA microarrays comprising 6000 human genes, we studied the gene expression profile of granulocytes obtained from 11 PV patients compared with granulocytes obtained from healthy individuals. We found that 147 genes were up-regulated by >/==" BORDER="0">2.5 fold in the majority of PV patients. Eleven of these 147 genes were up-regulated in all PV patients studied and may represent a molecular signature for this disorder. An increase in the expression of several protease inhibitors with affinity for proteases that promote apoptosis in neutrophils (e.g., cystatin F, secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor), as well as the up-regulation of a number of antiapoptotic and survival factors was found (e.g., adrenomedullin, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase). We speculate that the deregulation of these factors may inhibit normal apoptosis and promote cell survival in the granulocytes of patients with PV. These PV-specific expression changes are likely to be biologically important in the pathophysiology of this disorder.

Identification of candidate genes linking systemic inflammation to atherosclerosis; results of a human in vivo LPS infusion study.

BACKGROUND: It is widely accepted that atherosclerosis and inflammation are intimately linked. Monocytes play a key role in both of these processes and we hypothesized that activation of inflammatory pathways in monocytes would lead to, among others, proatherogenic changes in the monocyte transcriptome. Such differentially expressed genes in circulating monocytes would be strong candidates for further investigation in disease association studies. METHODS: Endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), or saline control was infused in healthy volunteers. Monocyte RNA was isolated, processed and hybridized to Hver 2.1.1 spotted cDNA microarrays. Differential expression of key genes was confirmed by RT-PCR and results were compared to in vitro data obtained by our group to identify candidate genes. RESULTS: All subjects who received LPS experienced the anticipated clinical response indicating successful stimulation. One hour after LPS infusion, 11 genes were identified as being differentially expressed; 1 down regulated and 10 up regulated. Four hours after LPS infusion, 28 genes were identified as being differentially expressed; 3 being down regulated and 25 up regulated. No genes were significantly differentially expressed following saline infusion. Comparison with results obtained in in vitro experiments lead to the identification of 6 strong candidate genes (BATF, BID, C3aR1, IL1RN, SEC61B and SLC43A3) CONCLUSION: In vivo endotoxin exposure of healthy individuals resulted in the identification of several candidate genes through which systemic inflammation links to atherosclerosis.

Distinct patterns of 1p and 19q alterations identify subtypes of human gliomas that have different prognoses.

We studied the status of chromosomes 1 and 19 in 363 astrocytic and oligodendroglial tumors. Whereas the predominant pattern of copy number abnormality was a concurrent loss of the entire 1p and 19q regions (total 1p/19q loss) among oligodendroglial tumors and partial deletions of 1p and/or 19q in astrocytic tumors, a subset of apparently astrocytic tumors also had total 1p/19q loss. The presence of total 1p/19q loss was associated with longer survival of patients with all types of adult gliomas independent of age and diagnosis (P = .041). The most commonly deleted region on 19q in astrocytic tumors spans 885 kb in 19q13.33-q13.41, which is telomeric to the previously proposed region. Novel regions of homozygous deletion, including a part of DPYD (1p21.3) or the KLK cluster (19q13.33), were observed in anaplastic oligodendrogliomas. Amplifications encompassing AKT2 (19q13.2) or CCNE1 (19q12) were identified in some glioblastomas. Deletion mapping of the centromeric regions of 1p and 19q in the tumors that had total 1p/19q loss, indicating that the breakpoints lie centromeric to NOTCH2 within the pericentromeric regions of 1p and 19q. Thus, we show that the copy number abnormalities of 1p and 19q in human gliomas are complex and have distinct patterns that are prognostically predictive independent of age and pathological diagnosis. An accurate identification of total 1p/19q loss and discriminating this from other 1p/19q changes is, however, critical when the 1p/19q copy number status is used to stratify patients in clinical trials.

Molecular analysis of tumor-promoting CD8+ T cells in two-stage cutaneous chemical carcinogenesis.

T-pro are tumor-infiltrating TCRalphabeta(+)CD8(+) cells of reduced cytotoxic potential that promote experimental two-stage chemical cutaneous carcinogenesis. Toward understanding their mechanism of action, this study uses whole-genome expression analysis to compare T-pro with systemic CD8(+) T cells from multiple groups of tumor-bearing mice. T-pro show an overt T helper 17-like profile (high retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-(ROR)gammat, IL-17A, IL-17F; low T-bet and eomesodermin), regulatory potential (high FoxP3, IL-10, Tim-3), and transcripts encoding epithelial growth factors (amphiregulin, Gro-1, Gro-2). Tricolor flow cytometry subsequently confirmed the presence of TCRbeta(+) CD8(+) IL-17(+) T cells among tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Moreover, a time-course analysis of independent TIL isolates from papillomas versus carcinomas exposed a clear association of the "T-pro phenotype" with malignant progression. This molecular characterization of T-pro builds a foundation for elucidating the contributions of inflammation to cutaneous carcinogenesis, and may provide useful biomarkers for cancer immunotherapy in which the widely advocated use of tumor-specific CD8(+) cytolytic T cells should perhaps accommodate the cells' potential corruption toward the T-pro phenotype. The data are also likely germane to psoriasis, in which the epidermis may be infiltrated by CD8(+) IL-17-producing T cells.

Genome-wide microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization analysis of lymphoplasmacytic lymphomas reveals heterogeneous aberrations.

Lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma (LPL) is not a sharply delineated lymphoma entity, either morphologically, phenotypically, or clinically. The diagnosis is often made by excluding other small cell lymphomas with plasmacytic differentiation, thus a genetic diagnostic marker would be of great benefit. Conventional cytogenetic techniques have previously demonstrated a deletion of 6q in a proportion of cases, varying from 7 to 55%. In this report, we apply array-based comparative genomic hybridization on 11 LPL samples. Genomic aberrations were detected in 9 of 11 cases, and included gains and losses. In general, the number of genetic aberrations was relatively low (two to three abnormalities per case). Recurrent aberrations detected were deletion of 6q (two cases), deletion of chromosome 17 (two cases), gain of 3q (two cases), and gain of chromosome 7 (two cases). This report not only confirms the reported loss of 6q in a proportion of cases but also highlights the genetic heterogeneity of LPL, in accordance with the known immunophenotypical, morphological, and clinical diversity of the disease.

Tissue-specific variation in DNA methylation levels along human chromosome 1.

BACKGROUND: DNA methylation is a major epigenetic modification important for regulating gene expression and suppressing spurious transcription. Most methods to scan the genome in different tissues for differentially methylated sites have focused on the methylation of CpGs in CpG islands, which are concentrations of CpGs often associated with gene promoters. RESULTS: Here, we use a methylation profiling strategy that is predominantly responsive to methylation differences outside of CpG islands. The method compares the yield from two samples of size-selected fragments generated by a methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme. We then profile nine different normal tissues from two human donors relative to spleen using a custom array of genomic clones covering the euchromatic portion of human chromosome 1 and representing 8% of the human genome. We observe gross regional differences in methylation states across chromosome 1 between tissues from the same individual, with the most striking differences detected in the comparison of cerebellum and spleen. Profiles of the same tissue from different donors are strikingly similar, as are the profiles of different lobes of the brain. Comparing our results with published gene expression levels, we find that clones exhibiting extreme ratios reflecting low relative methylation are statistically enriched for genes with high expression ratios, and vice versa, in most pairs of tissues examined. CONCLUSION: The varied patterns of methylation differences detected between tissues by our methylation profiling method reinforce the potential functional significance of regional differences in methylation levels outside of CpG islands.

Functional diversity for REST (NRSF) is defined by in vivo binding affinity hierarchies at the DNA sequence level.

The molecular events that contribute to, and result from, the in vivo binding of transcription factors to their cognate DNA sequence motifs in mammalian genomes are poorly understood. We demonstrate that variations within the DNA sequence motifs that bind the transcriptional repressor REST (NRSF) encode in vivo DNA binding affinity hierarchies that contribute to regulatory function during lineage-specific and developmental programs in fundamental ways. First, canonical sequence motifs for REST facilitate strong REST binding and control functional classes of REST targets that are common to all cell types, whilst atypical motifs participate in weak interactions and control those targets, which are cell- or tissue-specific. Second, variations in REST binding relate directly to variations in expression and chromatin configurations of REST's target genes. Third, REST clearance from its binding sites is also associated with variations in the RE1 motif. Finally, and most surprisingly, weak REST binding sites reside in DNA sequences that show the highest levels of constraint through evolution, thus facilitating their roles in maintaining tissue-specific functions. These relationships have never been reported in mammalian systems for any transcription factor.

Butyrate mediates decrease of histone acetylation centered on transcription start sites and down-regulation of associated genes.

Butyrate is a histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) with anti-neoplastic properties, which theoretically reactivates epigenetically silenced genes by increasing global histone acetylation. However, recent studies indicate that a similar number or even more genes are down-regulated than up-regulated by this drug. We treated hepatocarcinoma HepG2 cells with butyrate and characterized the levels of acetylation at DNA-bound histones H3 and H4 by ChIP-chip along the ENCODE regions. In contrast to the global increases of histone acetylation, many genomic regions close to transcription start sites were deacetylated after butyrate exposure. In order to validate these findings, we found that both butyrate and trichostatin A treatment resulted in histone deacetylation at selected regions, while nucleosome loss or changes in histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation (H3K4me3) did not occur in such locations. Furthermore, similar histone deacetylation events were observed when colon adenocarcinoma HT-29 cells were treated with butyrate. In addition, genes with deacetylated promoters were down-regulated by butyrate, and this was mediated at the transcriptional level by affecting RNA polymerase II (POLR2A) initiation/elongation. Finally, the global increase in acetylated histones was preferentially localized to the nuclear periphery, indicating that it might not be associated to euchromatin. Our results are significant for the evaluation of HDACi as anti-tumourogenic drugs, suggesting that previous models of action might need to be revised, and provides an explanation for the frequently observed repression of many genes during HDACi treatment.

A cytogenetically characterized, genome-anchored 10-Mb BAC set and CGH array for the domestic dog.

The generation of a 7.5x dog genome assembly provides exciting new opportunities to interpret tumor-associated chromosome aberrations at the biological level. We present a genomic microarray for array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) analysis in the dog, comprising 275 bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) clones spaced at intervals of approximately 10 Mb. Each clone has been positioned accurately within the genome assembly and assigned to a unique chromosome location by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis, both individually and as chromosome-specific BAC pools. The microarray also contains clones representing the dog orthologues of 31 genes implicated in human cancers. FISH analysis of the 10-Mb BAC clone set indicated excellent coverage of each dog chromosome by the genome assembly. The order of clones was consistent with the assembly, but the cytogenetic intervals between clones were variable. We demonstrate the application of the BAC array for aCGH analysis to identify both whole and partial chromosome imbalances using a canine histiocytic sarcoma case. Using BAC clones selected from the array as probes, multicolor FISH analysis was used to further characterize these imbalances, revealing numerous structural chromosome rearrangements. We outline the value of a combined aCGH/FISH approach, together with a well-annotated dog genome assembly, in canine and comparative cancer studies.