3D genome mapping identifies subgroup-specific chromosome conformations and tumor-dependency genes in ependymoma.

Ependymoma is a tumor of the brain or spinal cord. The two most common and aggressive molecular groups of ependymoma are the supratentorial ZFTA-fusion associated and the posterior fossa ependymoma group A. In both groups, tumors occur mainly in young children and frequently recur after treatment. Although molecular mechanisms underlying these diseases have recently been uncovered, they remain difficult to target and innovative therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. Here, we use genome-wide chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C), complemented with CTCF and H3K27ac ChIP-seq, as well as gene expression and DNA methylation analysis in primary and relapsed ependymoma tumors, to identify chromosomal conformations and regulatory mechanisms associated with aberrant gene expression. In particular, we observe the formation of new topologically associating domains ('neo-TADs') caused by structural variants, group-specific 3D chromatin loops, and the replacement of CTCF insulators by DNA hyper-methylation. Through inhibition experiments, we validate that genes implicated by these 3D genome conformations are essential for the survival of patient-derived ependymoma models in a group-specific manner. Thus, this study extends our ability to reveal tumor-dependency genes by 3D genome conformations even in tumors that lack targetable genetic alterations.

Scalable, high quality, whole genome sequencing from archived, newborn, dried blood spots.

Universal newborn screening (NBS) is a highly successful public health intervention. Archived dried bloodspots (DBS) collected for NBS represent a rich resource for population genomic studies. To fully harness this resource in such studies, DBS must yield high-quality genomic DNA (gDNA) for whole genome sequencing (WGS). In this pilot study, we hypothesized that gDNA of sufficient quality and quantity for WGS could be extracted from archived DBS up to 20 years old without PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) amplification. We describe simple methods for gDNA extraction and WGS library preparation from several types of DBS. We tested these methods in DBS from 25 individuals who had previously undergone diagnostic, clinical WGS and 29 randomly selected DBS cards collected for NBS from the California State Biobank. While gDNA from DBS had significantly less yield than from EDTA blood from the same individuals, it was of sufficient quality and quantity for WGS without PCR. All samples DBS yielded WGS that met quality control metrics for high-confidence variant calling. Twenty-eight variants of various types that had been reported clinically in 19 samples were recapitulated in WGS from DBS. There were no significant effects of age or paper type on WGS quality. Archived DBS appear to be a suitable sample type for WGS in population genomic studies.

Loss of FOCAD, operating via the SKI messenger RNA surveillance pathway, causes a pediatric syndrome with liver cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis is usually a late-onset and life-threatening disease characterized by fibrotic scarring and inflammation that disrupts liver architecture and function. While it is typically the result of alcoholism or hepatitis viral infection in adults, its etiology in infants is much less understood. In this study, we report 14 children from ten unrelated families presenting with a syndromic form of pediatric liver cirrhosis. By genome/exome sequencing, we found recessive variants in FOCAD segregating with the disease. Zebrafish lacking focad phenocopied the human disease, revealing a signature of altered messenger RNA (mRNA) degradation processes in the liver. Using patient's primary cells and CRISPR-Cas9-mediated inactivation in human hepatic cell lines, we found that FOCAD deficiency compromises the SKI mRNA surveillance pathway by reducing the levels of the RNA helicase SKIC2 and its cofactor SKIC3. FOCAD knockout hepatocytes exhibited lowered albumin expression and signs of persistent injury accompanied by CCL2 overproduction. Our results reveal the importance of FOCAD in maintaining liver homeostasis and disclose a possible therapeutic intervention point via inhibition of the CCL2/CCR2 signaling axis.

An automated 13.5 hour system for scalable diagnosis and acute management guidance for genetic diseases.

While many genetic diseases have effective treatments, they frequently progress rapidly to severe morbidity or mortality if those treatments are not implemented immediately. Since front-line physicians frequently lack familiarity with these diseases, timely molecular diagnosis may not improve outcomes. Herein we describe Genome-to-Treatment, an automated, virtual system for genetic disease diagnosis and acute management guidance. Diagnosis is achieved in 13.5 h by expedited whole genome sequencing, with superior analytic performance for structural and copy number variants. An expert panel adjudicated the indications, contraindications, efficacy, and evidence-of-efficacy of 9911 drug, device, dietary, and surgical interventions for 563 severe, childhood, genetic diseases. The 421 (75%) diseases and 1527 (15%) effective interventions retained are integrated with 13 genetic disease information resources and appended to diagnostic reports ( https://gtrx.radygenomiclab.com ). This system provided correct diagnoses in four retrospectively and two prospectively tested infants. The Genome-to-Treatment system facilitates optimal outcomes in children with rapidly progressive genetic diseases.

Identification of SARS-CoV-2 variants using viral sequencing for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention genomic surveillance program.

BACKGROUND: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention contracted with laboratories to sequence the SARS-CoV-2 genome from positive samples across the United States to enable public health officials to investigate the impact of variants on disease severity as well as the effectiveness of vaccines and treatment. Herein we present the initial results correlating RT-PCR quality control metrics with sample collection and sequencing methods from full SARS-CoV-2 viral genomic sequencing of 24,441 positive patient samples between April and June 2021. METHODS: RT-PCR confirmed (N Gene Ct value < 30) positive patient samples, with nucleic acid extracted from saliva, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were selected for viral whole genome SARS-CoV-2 sequencing. Sequencing was performed using Illumina COVIDSeq™ protocol on either the NextSeq550 or NovaSeq6000 systems. Informatic variant calling, and lineage analysis were performed using DRAGEN COVID Lineage applications on Illumina's Basespace cloud analytical system. All sequence data and variant calls were uploaded to NCBI and GISAID. RESULTS: An association was observed between higher sequencing coverage, quality, and samples with a lower Ct value, with < 27 being optimal, across both sequencing platforms and sample collection methods. Both nasopharyngeal swabs and saliva samples were found to be optimal samples of choice for SARS-CoV-2 surveillance sequencing studies, both in terms of strain identification and sequencing depth of coverage, with NovaSeq 6000 providing higher coverage than the NextSeq 550. The most frequent variants identified were the B.1.617.2 Delta (India) and P.1 Gamma (Brazil) variants in the samples sequenced between April 2021 and June 2021. At the time of submission, the most common variant > 99% of positives sequenced was Omicron. CONCLUSION: These initial analyses highlight the importance of sequencing platform, sample collection methods, and RT-PCR Ct values in guiding surveillance efforts. These surveillance studies evaluating genetic changes of SARS-CoV-2 have been identified as critical by the CDC that can affect many aspects of public health including transmission, disease severity, diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.

Somatic mosaicism reveals clonal distributions of neocortical development.

The structure of the human neocortex underlies species-specific traits and reflects intricate developmental programs. Here we sought to reconstruct processes that occur during early development by sampling adult human tissues. We analysed neocortical clones in a post-mortem human brain through a comprehensive assessment of brain somatic mosaicism, acting as neutral lineage recorders1,2. We combined the sampling of 25 distinct anatomic locations with deep whole-genome sequencing in a neurotypical deceased individual and confirmed results with 5 samples collected from each of three additional donors. We identified 259 bona fide mosaic variants from the index case, then deconvolved distinct geographical, cell-type and clade organizations across the brain and other organs. We found that clones derived after the accumulation of 90-200 progenitors in the cerebral cortex tended to respect the midline axis, well before the anterior-posterior or ventral-dorsal axes, representing a secondary hierarchy following the overall patterning of forebrain and hindbrain domains. Clones across neocortically derived cells were consistent with a dual origin from both dorsal and ventral cellular populations, similar to rodents, whereas the microglia lineage appeared distinct from other resident brain cells. Our data provide a comprehensive analysis of brain somatic mosaicism across the neocortex and demonstrate cellular origins and progenitor distribution patterns within the human brain.

Developmental and temporal characteristics of clonal sperm mosaicism.

Throughout development and aging, human cells accumulate mutations resulting in genomic mosaicism and genetic diversity at the cellular level. Mosaic mutations present in the gonads can affect both the individual and the offspring and subsequent generations. Here, we explore patterns and temporal stability of clonal mosaic mutations in male gonads by sequencing ejaculated sperm. Through 300× whole-genome sequencing of blood and sperm from healthy men, we find each ejaculate carries on average 33.3 ± 12.1 (mean ± SD) clonal mosaic variants, nearly all of which are detected in serial sampling, with the majority absent from sampled somal tissues. Their temporal stability and mutational signature suggest origins during embryonic development from a largely immutable stem cell niche. Clonal mosaicism likely contributes a transmissible, predicted pathogenic exonic variant for 1 in 15 men, representing a life-long threat of transmission for these individuals and a significant burden on human population health.

Ending a diagnostic odyssey: Moving from exome to genome to identify cockayne syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Cockayne syndrome (CS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by growth failure and multisystemic degeneration. Excision repair cross-complementation group 6 (ERCC6 OMIM: *609413) is the gene most frequently mutated in CS. METHODS: A child with pre and postnatal growth failure and progressive neurologic deterioration with multisystem involvement, and with nondiagnostic whole-exome sequencing, was screened for causal variants with whole-genome sequencing (WGS). RESULTS: WGS identified biallelic ERCC6 variants, including a previously unreported intronic variant. Pathogenicity of these variants was established by demonstrating reduced levels of ERCC6 mRNA and protein expression, normal unscheduled DNA synthesis, and impaired recovery of RNA synthesis in patient fibroblasts following UV-irradiation. CONCLUSION: The study confirms the pathogenicity of a previously undescribed upstream intronic variant, highlighting the power of genome sequencing to identify noncoding variants. In addition, this report provides evidence for the utility of a combination approach of genome sequencing plus functional studies to provide diagnosis in a child for whom a lengthy diagnostic odyssey, including exome sequencing, was previously unrevealing.

Rapid whole genome sequencing impacts care and resource utilization in infants with congenital heart disease.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital anomaly and a major cause of infant morbidity and mortality. While morbidity and mortality are highest in infants with underlying genetic conditions, molecular diagnoses are ascertained in only ~20% of cases using widely adopted genetic tests. Furthermore, cost of care for children and adults with CHD has increased dramatically. Rapid whole genome sequencing (rWGS) of newborns in intensive care units with suspected genetic diseases has been associated with increased rate of diagnosis and a net reduction in cost of care. In this study, we explored whether the clinical utility of rWGS extends to critically ill infants with structural CHD through a retrospective review of rWGS study data obtained from inpatient infants < 1 year with structural CHD at a regional children's hospital. rWGS diagnosed genetic disease in 46% of the enrolled infants. Moreover, genetic disease was identified five times more frequently with rWGS than microarray ± gene panel testing in 21 of these infants (rWGS diagnosed 43% versus 10% with microarray ± gene panels, p = 0.02). Molecular diagnoses ranged from syndromes affecting multiple organ systems to disorders limited to the cardiovascular system. The average daily hospital spending was lower in the time period post blood collection for rWGS compared to prior (p = 0.003) and further decreased after rWGS results (p = 0.000). The cost was not prohibitive to rWGS implementation in the care of this cohort of infants. rWGS provided timely actionable information that impacted care and there was evidence of decreased hospital spending around rWGS implementation.

Functional Precision Medicine Identifies New Therapeutic Candidates for Medulloblastoma.

Medulloblastoma is among the most common malignant brain tumors in children. Recent studies have identified at least four subgroups of the disease that differ in terms of molecular characteristics and patient outcomes. Despite this heterogeneity, most patients with medulloblastoma receive similar therapies, including surgery, radiation, and intensive chemotherapy. Although these treatments prolong survival, many patients still die from the disease and survivors suffer severe long-term side effects from therapy. We hypothesize that each patient with medulloblastoma is sensitive to different therapies and that tailoring therapy based on the molecular and cellular characteristics of patients' tumors will improve outcomes. To test this, we assembled a panel of orthotopic patient-derived xenografts (PDX) and subjected them to DNA sequencing, gene expression profiling, and high-throughput drug screening. Analysis of DNA sequencing revealed that most medulloblastomas do not have actionable mutations that point to effective therapies. In contrast, gene expression and drug response data provided valuable information about potential therapies for every tumor. For example, drug screening demonstrated that actinomycin D, which is used for treatment of sarcoma but rarely for medulloblastoma, was active against PDXs representing Group 3 medulloblastoma, the most aggressive form of the disease. Functional analysis of tumor cells was successfully used in a clinical setting to identify more treatment options than sequencing alone. These studies suggest that it should be possible to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach and begin to treat each patient with therapies that are effective against their specific tumor. SIGNIFICANCE: These findings show that high-throughput drug screening identifies therapies for medulloblastoma that cannot be predicted by genomic or transcriptomic analysis.

Moving Genomics to Routine Care: An Initial Pilot in Acute Cardiovascular Disease.

BACKGROUND: Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) costs are falling, yet, outside oncology, this information is seldom used in adult clinics. We piloted a rapid WGS (rWGS) workflow, focusing initially on estimating power for a feasibility study of introducing genome information into acute cardiovascular care. METHODS: A prospective implementation study was conducted to test the feasibility and clinical utility of rWGS in acute cardiovascular care. rWGS was performed on 50 adult patients with acute cardiovascular events and cardiac arrest survivors, testing for primary and secondary disease-causing variants, cardiovascular-related pharmacogenomics, and carrier status for recessive diseases. The impact of returning rWGS results on short-term clinical care of participants was investigated. The utility of polygenic risk scores to stratify coronary artery disease was also assessed. RESULTS: Pathogenic variants, typically secondary findings, were identified in 20% (95% CI, 11.7-34.3). About 60% (95% CI, 46.2-72.4) of participants were carriers for one or more recessive traits, most commonly in HFE and SERPINA1 genes. Although 64% (95% CI, 50.1-75.9) of participants carried at least one pharmacogenetic variant of cardiovascular relevance, these were actionable in only 14% (95% CI, 7-26.2). Coronary artery disease prevalence among participants at the 95th percentile of polygenic risk score was 88.2% (95% CI, 71.8-95.7). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated the feasibility of rWGS integration into the inpatient management of adults with acute cardiovascular events. Our pilot identified pathogenic variants in one out of 5 acute vascular patients. Integrating rWGS in clinical care will progressively increase actionability.

Mortality in a neonate with molybdenum cofactor deficiency illustrates the need for a comprehensive rapid precision medicine system.

Neonatal encephalopathy with seizures is a presentation in which rapid whole-genome sequencing (rWGS) has shown clinical utility and improved outcomes. We report a neonate who presented on the third day of life with seizures refractory to antiepileptic medications and neurologic and computerized tomographic findings consistent with severe generalized brain swelling. rWGS revealed compound heterozygous variants in the molybdenum cofactor synthesis gene, type 1A (MOCS1 c.*7 + 5G > A and c.377G > A); a provisional diagnosis of molybdenum cofactor deficiency on day of life 4. An emergency investigational new drug application for intravenous replacement of the MOCS1 product, cyclic pyranopterin monophosphate, was considered, but felt unsuitable in light of the severity of disease and delay in the start of treatment. The patient died on day of life 9 despite having a precise molecular diagnosis within the first week of life. This case illustrates that an rWGS-based molecular diagnosis within the first week of life may be insufficient to improve outcomes. However, it did inform clinical decision-making with regard to resuscitation and predicted long-term outcome. We suggest that to achieve optimal reductions in morbidity and mortality, rWGS must be implemented within a comprehensive rapid precision medicine system (CRPM). Akin to newborn screening (NBS), CRPM will have onboarding, diagnosis, and precision medicine implementation components developed in response to patient and parental needs. Education of health-care providers in a learning model in which ongoing data analyses informs system improvement will be essential for optimal effectiveness of CRPM.

Mutations in PDLIM5 are rare in dilated cardiomyopathy but are emerging as potential disease modifiers.

BACKGROUND: A causal genetic mutation is found in 40% of families with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), leaving a large percentage of families genetically unsolved. This prevents adequate counseling and clear recommendations in these families. We aim to identify novel genes or modifiers associated with DCM. METHODS: We performed computational ranking of human genes based on coexpression with a predefined set of genes known to be associated with DCM, which allowed us to prioritize gene candidates for their likelihood of being involved in DCM. Top candidates will be checked for variants in the available whole-exome sequencing data of 142 DCM patients. RNA was isolated from cardiac biopsies to investigate gene expression. RESULTS: PDLIM5 was classified as the top candidate. An interesting heterozygous variant (189_190delinsGG) was found in a DCM patient with a known pathogenic truncating TTN-variant. The PDLIM5 loss-of-function (LoF) variant affected all cardiac-specific isoforms of PDLIM5 and no LoF variants were detected in the same region in a control cohort of 26,000 individuals. RNA expression of PDLIM5 and its direct interactors (MYOT, LDB3, and MYOZ2) was increased in cardiac tissue of this patient, indicating a possible compensatory mechanism. The PDLIM5 variant cosegregated with the TTN-variant and the phenotype, leading to a high disease penetrance in this family. A second patient was an infant with a homozygous 10 kb-deletion of exon 2 in PDLIM5 resulting in early-onset cardiac disease, showing the importance of PDLIM5 in cardiac function. CONCLUSIONS: Heterozygous PDLIM5 variants are rare and therefore will not have a major contribution in DCM. Although they likely play a role in disease development as this gene plays a major role in contracting cardiomyocytes and homozygous variants lead to early-onset cardiac disease. Other environmental and/or genetic factors are probably necessary to unveil the cardiac phenotype in PDLIM5 mutation carriers.

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of the Analytic and Diagnostic Performance of Singleton and Trio, Rapid Genome and Exome Sequencing in Ill Infants.

The second Newborn Sequencing in Genomic Medicine and Public Health study was a randomized, controlled trial of the effectiveness of rapid whole-genome or -exome sequencing (rWGS or rWES, respectively) in seriously ill infants with diseases of unknown etiology. Here we report comparisons of analytic and diagnostic performance. Of 1,248 ill inpatient infants, 578 (46%) had diseases of unknown etiology. 213 infants (37% of those eligible) were enrolled within 96 h of admission. 24 infants (11%) were very ill and received ultra-rapid whole-genome sequencing (urWGS). The remaining infants were randomized, 95 to rWES and 94 to rWGS. The analytic performance of rWGS was superior to rWES, including variants likely to affect protein function, and ClinVar pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants (p < 0.0001). The diagnostic performance of rWGS and rWES were similar (18 diagnoses in 94 infants [19%] versus 19 diagnoses in 95 infants [20%], respectively), as was time to result (median 11.0 versus 11.2 days, respectively). However, the proportion diagnosed by urWGS (11 of 24 [46%]) was higher than rWES/rWGS (p = 0.004) and time to result was less (median 4.6 days, p < 0.0001). The incremental diagnostic yield of reflexing to trio after negative proband analysis was 0.7% (1 of 147). In conclusion, rapid genomic sequencing can be performed as a first-tier diagnostic test in inpatient infants. urWGS had the shortest time to result, which was important in unstable infants, and those in whom a genetic diagnosis was likely to impact immediate management. Further comparison of urWGS and rWES is warranted because genomic technologies and knowledge of variant pathogenicity are evolving rapidly.

Biallelic loss of GNAS in a patient with pediatric medulloblastoma.

Genome sequencing was performed on matched normal and tumor tissue from a 6.5-yr-old boy with a diagnosis of recurrent medulloblastoma. A pathogenic heterozygous c.432+1G>A canonical splice donor site variant in GNAS was detected on analysis of blood DNA. Analysis of tumor DNA showed the same splice variant along with copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity on Chromosome 20 encompassing GNAS, consistent with predicted biallelic loss of GNAS in the tumor specimen. This case strengthens the evidence implicating GNAS as a tumor-suppressor gene in medulloblastoma and highlights a scenario in which therapeutics targeting the cAMP pathway may be of great utility.