Resolving the full spectrum of human genome variation using Linked-Reads.

Large-scale population analyses coupled with advances in technology have demonstrated that the human genome is more diverse than originally thought. To date, this diversity has largely been uncovered using short-read whole-genome sequencing. However, these short-read approaches fail to give a complete picture of a genome. They struggle to identify structural events, cannot access repetitive regions, and fail to resolve the human genome into haplotypes. Here, we describe an approach that retains long range information while maintaining the advantages of short reads. Starting from ∼1 ng of high molecular weight DNA, we produce barcoded short-read libraries. Novel informatic approaches allow for the barcoded short reads to be associated with their original long molecules producing a novel data type known as "Linked-Reads". This approach allows for simultaneous detection of small and large variants from a single library. In this manuscript, we show the advantages of Linked-Reads over standard short-read approaches for reference-based analysis. Linked-Reads allow mapping to 38 Mb of sequence not accessible to short reads, adding sequence in 423 difficult-to-sequence genes including disease-relevant genes STRC, SMN1, and SMN2 Both Linked-Read whole-genome and whole-exome sequencing identify complex structural variations, including balanced events and single exon deletions and duplications. Further, Linked-Reads extend the region of high-confidence calls by 68.9 Mb. The data presented here show that Linked-Reads provide a scalable approach for comprehensive genome analysis that is not possible using short reads alone.

Structure of mycobacterial 3'-to-5' RNA:DNA helicase Lhr bound to a ssDNA tracking strand highlights distinctive features of a novel family of bacterial helicases.

Mycobacterial Lhr is a DNA damage-inducible superfamily 2 helicase that uses adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis to drive unidirectional 3'-to-5' translocation along single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) and to unwind RNA:DNA duplexes en route. ATPase, translocase and helicase activities are encompassed within the N-terminal 856-amino acid segment. The crystal structure of Lhr-(1-856) in complex with AMPPNP•Mg2+ and ssDNA defines a new helicase family. The enzyme comprises two N-terminal RecA-like modules, a winged helix (WH) domain and a unique C-terminal domain. The 3' ssDNA end binds in a crescent-shaped groove at the interface between the first RecA domain and the WH domain and tracks 5' into a groove between the second RecA and C domains. A kissing interaction between the second RecA and C domains forms an aperture that demarcates a putative junction between the loading strand tail and the duplex, with the first duplex nucleoside bookended by stacking on Trp597. Intercalation of Ile528 between nucleosides of the loading strand creates another bookend. Coupling of ATP hydrolysis to RNA:DNA unwinding is dependent on Trp597 and Ile528, and on Thr145 and Arg279 that contact phosphates of the loading strand. The structural and functional data suggest a ratchet mechanism of translocation and unwinding coupled to ATP-driven domain movements.

Non-equivalence of Wnt and R-spondin ligands during Lgr5+ intestinal stem-cell self-renewal.

The canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signalling pathway governs diverse developmental, homeostatic and pathological processes. Palmitoylated Wnt ligands engage cell-surface frizzled (FZD) receptors and LRP5 and LRP6 co-receptors, enabling ß-catenin nuclear translocation and TCF/LEF-dependent gene transactivation. Mutations in Wnt downstream signalling components have revealed diverse functions thought to be carried out by Wnt ligands themselves. However, redundancy between the 19 mammalian Wnt proteins and 10 FZD receptors and Wnt hydrophobicity have made it difficult to attribute these functions directly to Wnt ligands. For example, individual mutations in Wnt ligands have not revealed homeostatic phenotypes in the intestinal epithelium-an archetypal canonical, Wnt pathway-dependent, rapidly self-renewing tissue, the regeneration of which is fueled by proliferative crypt Lgr5+ intestinal stem cells (ISCs). R-spondin ligands (RSPO1-RSPO4) engage distinct LGR4-LGR6, RNF43 and ZNRF3 receptor classes, markedly potentiate canonical Wnt/ß-catenin signalling, and induce intestinal organoid growth in vitro and Lgr5+ ISCs in vivo. However, the interchangeability, functional cooperation and relative contributions of Wnt versus RSPO ligands to in vivo canonical Wnt signalling and ISC biology remain unknown. Here we identify the functional roles of Wnt and RSPO ligands in the intestinal crypt stem-cell niche. We show that the default fate of Lgr5+ ISCs is to differentiate, unless both RSPO and Wnt ligands are present. However, gain-of-function studies using RSPO ligands and a new non-lipidated Wnt analogue reveal that these ligands have qualitatively distinct, non-interchangeable roles in ISCs. Wnt proteins are unable to induce Lgr5+ ISC self-renewal, but instead confer a basal competency by maintaining RSPO receptor expression that enables RSPO ligands to actively drive and specify the extent of stem-cell expansion. This functionally non-equivalent yet cooperative interaction between Wnt and RSPO ligands establishes a molecular precedent for regulation of mammalian stem cells by distinct priming and self-renewal factors, with broad implications for precise control of tissue regeneration.

Extensive sequencing of seven human genomes to characterize benchmark reference materials.

The Genome in a Bottle Consortium, hosted by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is creating reference materials and data for human genome sequencing, as well as methods for genome comparison and benchmarking. Here, we describe a large, diverse set of sequencing data for seven human genomes; five are current or candidate NIST Reference Materials. The pilot genome, NA12878, has been released as NIST RM 8398. We also describe data from two Personal Genome Project trios, one of Ashkenazim Jewish ancestry and one of Chinese ancestry. The data come from 12 technologies: BioNano Genomics, Complete Genomics paired-end and LFR, Ion Proton exome, Oxford Nanopore, Pacific Biosciences, SOLiD, 10X Genomics GemCode WGS, and Illumina exome and WGS paired-end, mate-pair, and synthetic long reads. Cell lines, DNA, and data from these individuals are publicly available. Therefore, we expect these data to be useful for revealing novel information about the human genome and improving sequencing technologies, SNP, indel, and structural variant calling, and de novo assembly.

Haplotyping germline and cancer genomes with high-throughput linked-read sequencing.

Haplotyping of human chromosomes is a prerequisite for cataloguing the full repertoire of genetic variation. We present a microfluidics-based, linked-read sequencing technology that can phase and haplotype germline and cancer genomes using nanograms of input DNA. This high-throughput platform prepares barcoded libraries for short-read sequencing and computationally reconstructs long-range haplotype and structural variant information. We generate haplotype blocks in a nuclear trio that are concordant with expected inheritance patterns and phase a set of structural variants. We also resolve the structure of the EML4-ALK gene fusion in the NCI-H2228 cancer cell line using phased exome sequencing. Finally, we assign genetic aberrations to specific megabase-scale haplotypes generated from whole-genome sequencing of a primary colorectal adenocarcinoma. This approach resolves haplotype information using up to 100 times less genomic DNA than some methods and enables the accurate detection of structural variants.

Mycobacterium smegmatis HelY Is an RNA-Activated ATPase/dATPase and 3'-to-5' Helicase That Unwinds 3'-Tailed RNA Duplexes and RNA:DNA Hybrids.

UNLABELLED: Mycobacteria have a large and distinctive ensemble of DNA helicases that function in DNA replication, repair, and recombination. Little is known about the roster of RNA helicases in mycobacteria or their roles in RNA transactions. The 912-amino-acid Mycobacterium smegmatis HelY (MSMEG_3885) protein is a bacterial homolog of the Mtr4 and Ski2 helicases that regulate RNA 3' processing and turnover by the eukaryal exosome. Here we characterize HelY as an RNA-stimulated ATPase/dATPase and an ATP/dATP-dependent 3'-to-5' helicase. HelY requires a 3' single-strand RNA tail (a loading RNA strand) to displace the complementary strand of a tailed RNA:RNA or RNA:DNA duplex. The findings that HelY ATPase is unresponsive to a DNA polynucleotide cofactor and that HelY is unable to unwind a 3'-tailed duplex in which the loading strand is DNA distinguish HelY from other mycobacterial nucleoside triphosphatases/helicases characterized previously. The biochemical properties of HelY, which resemble those of Mtr4/Ski2, hint at a role for HelY in mycobacterial RNA catabolism. IMPORTANCE: RNA helicases play crucial roles in transcription, RNA processing, and translation by virtue of their ability to alter RNA secondary structure or remodel RNA-protein interactions. In eukarya, the RNA helicases Mtr4 and Ski2 regulate RNA 3' resection by the exosome. Mycobacterium smegmatis HelY, a bacterial homolog of Mtr4/Ski2, is characterized here as a unidirectional helicase, powered by RNA-dependent ATP/dATP hydrolysis, that tracks 3' to 5' along a loading RNA strand to displace the complementary strand of a tailed RNA:RNA or RNA:DNA duplex. The biochemical properties of HelY suggest a role in bacterial RNA transactions. HelY homologs are present in pathogenic mycobacteria (e.g., M. tuberculosis and M. leprae) and are widely prevalent in Actinobacteria and Cyanobacteria but occur sporadically elsewhere in the bacterial domain.

Mycobacterium smegmatis DinB2 misincorporates deoxyribonucleotides and ribonucleotides during templated synthesis and lesion bypass.

Mycobacterium smegmatis DinB2 is the founder of a clade of Y-family DNA polymerase that is naturally adept at utilizing rNTPs or dNTPs as substrates. Here we investigate the fidelity and lesion bypass capacity of DinB2. We report that DinB2 is an unfaithful DNA and RNA polymerase with a distinctive signature for misincorporation of dNMPs, rNMPs and oxoguanine nucleotides during templated synthesis in vitro. DinB2 has a broader mutagenic spectrum with manganese than magnesium, though low ratios of manganese to magnesium suffice to switch DinB2 to its more mutagenic mode. DinB2 discrimination against incorrect dNTPs in magnesium is primarily at the level of substrate binding affinity, rather than kpol. DinB2 can incorporate any dNMP or rNMP opposite oxo-dG in the template strand with manganese as cofactor, with a kinetic preference for synthesis of an A:oxo-dG Hoogsteen pair. With magnesium, DinB2 is adept at synthesizing A:oxo-dG or C:oxo-dG pairs. DinB2 effectively incorporates deoxyribonucleotides, but not ribonucleotides, opposite an abasic site, with kinetic preference for dATP as the substrate. We speculate that DinB2 might contribute to mycobacterial mutagenesis, oxidative stress and quiescence, and discuss the genetic challenges to linking the polymerase biochemistry to an in vivo phenotype.

Characterization of three mycobacterial DinB (DNA polymerase IV) paralogs highlights DinB2 as naturally adept at ribonucleotide incorporation.

This study unveils Mycobacterium smegmatis DinB2 as the founder of a clade of Y-family DNA polymerase that is naturally adept at incorporating ribonucleotides by virtue of a leucine in lieu of a canonical aromatic steric gate. DinB2 efficiently scavenges limiting dNTP and rNTP substrates in the presence of manganese. DinB2's sugar selectivity factor, gauged by rates of manganese-dependent dNMP versus rNMP addition, is 2.7- to 3.8-fold. DinB2 embeds ribonucleotides during DNA synthesis when rCTP and dCTP are at equimolar concentration. DinB2 can incorporate at least 16 consecutive ribonucleotides. In magnesium, DinB2 has a 26- to 78-fold lower affinity for rNTPs than dNTPs, but only a 2.6- to 6-fold differential in rates of deoxy versus ribo addition (kpol). Two other M. smegmatis Y-family polymerases, DinB1 and DinB3, are characterized here as template-dependent DNA polymerases that discriminate strongly against ribonucleotides, a property that, in the case of DinB1, correlates with its aromatic steric gate side chain. We speculate that the unique ability of DinB2 to utilize rNTPs might allow for DNA repair with a 'ribo patch' when dNTPs are limiting. Phylogenetic analysis reveals DinB2-like polymerases, with leucine, isoleucine or valine steric gates, in many taxa of the phylum Actinobacteria.

Impact of DNA3'pp5'G capping on repair reactions at DNA 3' ends.

Many biological scenarios generate "dirty" DNA 3'-PO4 ends that cannot be sealed by classic DNA ligases or extended by DNA polymerases. The noncanonical ligase RtcB can "cap" these ends via a unique chemical mechanism entailing transfer of GMP from a covalent RtcB-GMP intermediate to a DNA 3'-PO4 to form DNA3'pp5'G. Here, we show that capping protects DNA 3' ends from resection by Escherichia coli exonucleases I and III and from end-healing by T4 polynucleotide 3' phosphatase. By contrast, the cap is an effective primer for DNA synthesis. E. coli DNA polymerase I and Mycobacterium DinB1 extend the DNAppG primer to form an alkali-labile DNApp(rG)pDNA product. The addition of dNTP depends on pairing of the cap guanine with an opposing cytosine in the template strand. Aprataxin, an enzyme implicated in repair of A5'pp5'DNA ends formed during abortive ligation by classic ligases, is highly effective as a DNA 3' decapping enzyme, converting DNAppG to DNA3'p and GMP. We conclude that the biochemical impact of DNA capping is to prevent resection and healing of a 3'-PO4 end, while permitting DNA synthesis, at the price of embedding a ribonucleotide and a pyrophosphate linkage in the repaired strand. Aprataxin affords a means to counter the impact of DNA capping.

Mycobacterium smegmatis Lhr Is a DNA-dependent ATPase and a 3'-to-5' DNA translocase and helicase that prefers to unwind 3'-tailed RNA:DNA hybrids.

We are interested in the distinctive roster of helicases of Mycobacterium, a genus of the phylum Actinobacteria that includes the human pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its avirulent relative Mycobacterium smegmatis. Here, we identify and characterize M. smegmatis Lhr as the exemplar of a novel clade of superfamily II helicases, by virtue of its biochemical specificities and signature domain organization. Lhr is a 1507-amino acid monomeric nucleic acid-dependent ATPase that uses the energy of ATP hydrolysis to drive unidirectional 3'-to-5' translocation along single strand DNA and to unwind duplexes en route. The ATPase is more active in the presence of calcium than magnesium. ATP hydrolysis is triggered by either single strand DNA or single strand RNA, yet the apparent affinity for a DNA activator is 11-fold higher than for an RNA strand of identical size and nucleobase sequence. Lhr is 8-fold better at unwinding an RNA:DNA hybrid than it is at displacing a DNA:DNA duplex of identical nucleobase sequence. The truncated derivative Lhr-(1-856) is an autonomous ATPase, 3'-to-5' translocase, and RNA:DNA helicase. Lhr-(1-856) is 100-fold better RNA:DNA helicase than DNA:DNA helicase. Lhr homologs are found in bacteria representing eight different phyla, being especially prevalent in Actinobacteria (including M. tuberculosis) and Proteobacteria (including Escherichia coli).

Mycobacterium smegmatis RqlH defines a novel clade of bacterial RecQ-like DNA helicases with ATP-dependent 3'-5' translocase and duplex unwinding activities.

The Escherichia coli RecQ DNA helicase participates in a pathway of DNA repair that operates in parallel to the recombination pathway driven by the multisubunit helicase-nuclease machine RecBCD. The model mycobacterium Mycobacterium smegmatis executes homologous recombination in the absence of its helicase-nuclease machine AdnAB, though it lacks a homolog of E. coli RecQ. Here, we identify and characterize M. smegmatis RqlH, a RecQ-like helicase with a distinctive domain structure. The 691-amino acid RqlH polypeptide consists of a RecQ-like ATPase domain (amino acids 1-346) and tetracysteine zinc-binding domain (amino acids 435-499), separated by an RqlH-specific linker. RqlH lacks the C-terminal HRDC domain found in E. coli RecQ. Rather, the RqlH C-domain resembles bacterial ComF proteins and includes a phosphoribosyltransferase-like module. We show that RqlH is a DNA-dependent ATPase/dATPase that translocates 3'-5' on single-stranded DNA and has 3'-5' helicase activity. These functions inhere to RqlH-(1-505), a monomeric motor unit comprising the ATPase, linker and zinc-binding domains. RqlH homologs are distributed widely among bacterial taxa. The mycobacteria that encode RqlH lack a classical RecQ, though many other Actinobacteria have both RqlH and RecQ. Whereas E. coli K12 encodes RecQ but lacks a homolog of RqlH, other strains of E. coli have both RqlH and RecQ.

A flexible approach for highly multiplexed candidate gene targeted resequencing.

We have developed an integrated strategy for targeted resequencing and analysis of gene subsets from the human exome for variants. Our capture technology is geared towards resequencing gene subsets substantially larger than can be done efficiently with simplex or multiplex PCR but smaller in scale than exome sequencing. We describe all the steps from the initial capture assay to single nucleotide variant (SNV) discovery. The capture methodology uses in-solution 80-mer oligonucleotides. To provide optimal flexibility in choosing human gene targets, we designed an in silico set of oligonucleotides, the Human OligoExome, that covers the gene exons annotated by the Consensus Coding Sequencing Project (CCDS). This resource is openly available as an Internet accessible database where one can download capture oligonucleotides sequences for any CCDS gene and design custom capture assays. Using this resource, we demonstrated the flexibility of this assay by custom designing capture assays ranging from 10 to over 100 gene targets with total capture sizes from over 100 Kilobases to nearly one Megabase. We established a method to reduce capture variability and incorporated indexing schemes to increase sample throughput. Our approach has multiple applications that include but are not limited to population targeted resequencing studies of specific gene subsets, validation of variants discovered in whole genome sequencing surveys and possible diagnostic analysis of disease gene subsets. We also present a cost analysis demonstrating its cost-effectiveness for large population studies.