Analysis of Ugandan cervical carcinomas identifies human papillomavirus clade-specific epigenome and transcriptome landscapes.

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer affecting sub-Saharan African women and is prevalent among HIV-positive (HIV+) individuals. No comprehensive profiling of cancer genomes, transcriptomes or epigenomes has been performed in this population thus far. We characterized 118 tumors from Ugandan patients, of whom 72 were HIV+, and performed extended mutation analysis on an additional 89 tumors. We detected human papillomavirus (HPV)-clade-specific differences in tumor DNA methylation, promoter- and enhancer-associated histone marks, gene expression and pathway dysregulation. Changes in histone modification at HPV integration events were correlated with upregulation of nearby genes and endogenous retroviruses.

Pan-cancer analysis of advanced patient tumors reveals interactions between therapy and genomic landscapes.

Advanced and metastatic tumors with complex treatment histories drive cancer mortality. Here we describe the POG570 cohort, a comprehensive whole-genome, transcriptome and clinical dataset, amenable for exploration of the impacts of therapies on genomic landscapes. Previous exposure to DNA-damaging chemotherapies and mutations affecting DNA repair genes, including POLQ and genes encoding Polζ, were associated with genome-wide, therapy-induced mutagenesis. Exposure to platinum therapies coincided with signatures SBS31 and DSB5 and, when combined with DNA synthesis inhibitors, signature SBS17b. Alterations in ESR1, EGFR, CTNNB1, FGFR1, VEGFA and DPYD were consistent with drug resistance and sensitivity. Recurrent noncoding events were found in regulatory region hotspots of genes including TERT, PLEKHS1, AP2A1 and ADGRG6. Mutation burden and immune signatures corresponded with overall survival and response to immunotherapy. Our data offer a rich resource for investigation of advanced cancers and interpretation of whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing in the context of a cancer clinic.

Base excision repair deficiency signatures implicate germline and somatic MUTYH aberrations in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and breast cancer oncogenesis.

We report a case of early-onset pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in a patient harboring biallelic MUTYH germline mutations, whose tumor featured somatic mutational signatures consistent with defective MUTYH-mediated base excision repair and the associated driver KRAS transversion mutation p.Gly12Cys. Analysis of an additional 730 advanced cancer cases (N = 731) was undertaken to determine whether the mutational signatures were also present in tumors from germline MUTYH heterozygote carriers or if instead the signatures were only seen in those with biallelic loss of function. We identified two patients with breast cancer each carrying a pathogenic germline MUTYH variant with a somatic MUTYH copy loss leading to the germline variant being homozygous in the tumor and demonstrating the same somatic signatures. Our results suggest that monoallelic inactivation of MUTYH is not sufficient for C:G>A:T transversion signatures previously linked to MUTYH deficiency to arise (N = 9), but that biallelic complete loss of MUTYH function can cause such signatures to arise even in tumors not classically seen in MUTYH-associated polyposis (N = 3). Although defective MUTYH is not the only determinant of these signatures, MUTYH germline variants may be present in a subset of patients with tumors demonstrating elevated somatic signatures possibly suggestive of MUTYH deficiency (e.g., COSMIC Signature 18, SigProfiler SBS18/SBS36, SignatureAnalyzer SBS18/SBS36).

A Children's Oncology Group and TARGET initiative exploring the genetic landscape of Wilms tumor.

We performed genome-wide sequencing and analyzed mRNA and miRNA expression, DNA copy number, and DNA methylation in 117 Wilms tumors, followed by targeted sequencing of 651 Wilms tumors. In addition to genes previously implicated in Wilms tumors (WT1, CTNNB1, AMER1, DROSHA, DGCR8, XPO5, DICER1, SIX1, SIX2, MLLT1, MYCN, and TP53), we identified mutations in genes not previously recognized as recurrently involved in Wilms tumors, the most frequent being BCOR, BCORL1, NONO, MAX, COL6A3, ASXL1, MAP3K4, and ARID1A. DNA copy number changes resulted in recurrent 1q gain, MYCN amplification, LIN28B gain, and MIRLET7A loss. Unexpected germline variants involved PALB2 and CHEK2. Integrated analyses support two major classes of genetic changes that preserve the progenitor state and/or interrupt normal development.

Mapping the human T cell repertoire to recurrent driver mutations in MYD88 and EZH2 in lymphoma.

Oncogenic "driver" mutations are theoretically attractive targets for the immunotherapy of lymphoid cancers, yet the proportion that can be recognized by T cells remains poorly defined. To address this issue without any confounding effects of the patient's immune system, we assessed T cells from 19 healthy donors for recognition of three common driver mutations in lymphoma: MYD88L265P, EZH2Y641F , and EZH2Y641N . Donors collectively expressed the 10 most prevalent HLA class I alleles, including HLA-A*02:01. Peripheral blood T cells were primed with peptide-loaded dendritic cells (DC), and reactive T cells were assessed for recognition of naturally processed mutant versus wild type full-length proteins. After screening three driver mutations across 17-26 HLA class I alleles and 3 × 106-3 × 107 T cells per donor, we identified CD4+ T cells against EFISENCGEII from EZH2Y641N (presented by HLA-DRB1*13:02) and CD8+ T cells against RPIPIKYKA from MYD88L265P (presented by HLA-B*07:02). We failed to detect RPIPIKYKA-specific T cells in seven other HLA-B*07:02-positive donors, including two lymphoma patients. Thus, healthy donors harbor T cells specific for common driver mutations in lymphoma. However, such responses appear to be rare due to the combined limitations of antigen processing, HLA restriction, and T cell repertoire size, highlighting the need for highly individualized approaches for selecting targets.

Opposing Effects of Valproic Acid Treatment Mediated by Histone Deacetylase Inhibitor Activity in Four Transgenic X. laevis Models of Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited retinal degeneration (RD) that leads to blindness for which no treatment is available. RP is frequently caused by mutations in Rhodopsin; in some animal models, RD is exacerbated by light. Valproic acid (VPA) is a proposed treatment for RP and other neurodegenerative disorders, with a phase II trial for RP under way. However, the therapeutic mechanism is unclear, with minimal research supporting its use in RP. We investigated the effects of VPA on Xenopus laevis models of RP expressing human P23H, T17M, T4K, and Q344ter rhodopsins, which are associated with RP in humans. VPA ameliorated RD associated with P23H rhodopsin and promoted clearing of mutant rhodopsin from photoreceptors. The effect was equal to that of dark rearing, with no additive effect observed. Rescue of visual function was confirmed by electroretinography. In contrast, VPA exacerbated RD caused by T17M rhodopsin in light, but had no effect in darkness. Effects in T4K and Q344ter rhodopsin models were also negative. These effects of VPA were paralleled by treatment with three additional histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, but not other antipsychotics, chemical chaperones, or VPA structural analogues. In WT retinas, VPA treatment increased histone H3 acetylation. In addition, electron microscopy showed increased autophagosomes in rod inner segments with HDAC inhibitor (HDACi) treatment, potentially linking the therapeutic effects in P23H rhodopsin animals and negative effects in other models with autophagy. Our results suggest that the success or failure of VPA treatment is dependent on genotype and that HDACi treatment is contraindicated for some RP cases.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is an inherited, degenerative retinal disease that leads to blindness for which no therapy is available. We determined that valproic acid (VPA), currently undergoing a phase II trial for RP, has both beneficial and detrimental effects in animal models of RP depending on the underlying disease mechanism and that both effects are due to histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition possibly linked to autophagy regulation. Off-label use of VPA and other HDAC inhibitors for the treatment of RP should be limited to the research setting until this effect is understood and can be predicted. Our study suggests that, unless genotype is accounted for, clinical trials for RP treatments may give negative results due to multiple disease mechanisms with differential responses to therapeutic interventions.

Significance of TP53 Mutation in Wilms Tumors with Diffuse Anaplasia: A Report from the Children's Oncology Group.

PURPOSE: To investigate the role and significance of TP53 mutation in diffusely anaplastic Wilms tumors (DAWTs). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: All DAWTs registered on National Wilms Tumor Study-5 (n = 118) with available samples were analyzed for TP53 mutations and copy loss. Integrative genomic analysis was performed on 39 selected DAWTs. RESULTS: Following analysis of a single random sample, 57 DAWTs (48%) demonstrated TP53 mutations, 13 (11%) copy loss without mutation, and 48 (41%) lacked both [defined as TP53-wild-type (wt)]. Patients with stage III/IV TP53-wt DAWTs (but not those with stage I/II disease) had significantly lower relapse and death rates than those with TP53 abnormalities. In-depth analysis of a subset of 39 DAWTs showed seven (18%) to be TP53-wt: These demonstrated gene expression evidence of an active p53 pathway. Retrospective pathology review of TP53-wt DAWT revealed no or very low volume of anaplasia in six of seven tumors. When samples from TP53-wt tumors known to contain anaplasia histologically were available, abnormal p53 protein accumulation was observed by immunohistochemistry. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the key role of TP53 loss in the development of anaplasia in WT, and support its significant clinical impact in patients with residual anaplastic tumor following surgery. These data also suggest that most DAWTs will show evidence of TP53 mutation when samples selected for the presence of anaplasia are analyzed. This suggests that modifications of the current criteria to also consider volume of anaplasia and documentation of TP53 aberrations may better reflect the risk of relapse and death and enable optimization of therapeutic stratification. Clin Cancer Res; 22(22); 5582-91. ©2016 AACR.

Toward Personalized Lymphoma Immunotherapy: Identification of Common Driver Mutations Recognized by Patient CD8+ T Cells.

PURPOSE: A fundamental challenge in the era of next-generation sequencing (NGS) is to design effective treatments tailored to the mutational profiles of tumors. Many newly discovered cancer mutations are difficult to target pharmacologically; however, T-cell-based therapies may provide a valuable alternative owing to the exquisite sensitivity and specificity of antigen recognition. To explore this concept, we assessed the immunogenicity of a panel of genes that are common sites of driver mutations in follicular lymphoma, an immunologically sensitive yet currently incurable disease. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Exon capture and NGS were used to interrogate tumor samples from 53 patients with follicular lymphoma for mutations in 10 frequently mutated genes. For 13 patients, predicted mutant peptides and proteins were evaluated for recognition by autologous peripheral blood T cells after in vitro priming. RESULTS: Mutations were identified in 1-5 genes in 81% (43/53) of tumor samples. Autologous, mutation-specific CD8(+) T cells were identified in 23% (3/13) of evaluated cases. T-cell responses were directed toward putative driver mutations in CREBBP and MEF2B. Responding T cells showed exquisite specificity for mutant versus wild-type proteins and recognized lymphoma cells expressing the appropriate mutations. Responding T cells appeared to be from the naïve repertoire, as they were found at low frequencies and only at single time points in each patient. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with follicular lymphoma harbor rare yet functionally competent CD8(+) T cells specific for recurrent mutations. Our results support the concept of using NGS to design individualized immunotherapies targeting common driver mutations in follicular lymphoma and other malignancies. Clin Cancer Res; 22(9); 2226-36. ©2015 AACR.

High-Quality Draft Whole-Genome Sequences of 162 Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica Serovar Enteritidis Strains Isolated from Diverse Sources in Canada.

We report the high-quality draft genome sequences of 162 strains of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis representing diverse phage types and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles. The analysis of these genomes will enable the identification of markers that are useful for differentiating strains of this highly clonal serovar and will provide insights into the evolution, virulence, and epidemiology of the strains.

The structure of the CS1 pilus of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli reveals structural polymorphism.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) is a bacterial pathogen that causes diarrhea in children and travelers in developing countries. ETEC adheres to host epithelial cells in the small intestine via a variety of different pili. The CS1 pilus is a prototype for a family of related pili, including the CFA/I pili, present on ETEC and other Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. These pili are assembled by an outer membrane usher protein that catalyzes subunit polymerization via donor strand complementation, in which the N terminus of each incoming pilin subunit fits into a hydrophobic groove in the terminal subunit, completing a ß-sheet in the Ig fold. Here we determined a crystal structure of the CS1 major pilin subunit, CooA, to a 1.6-Å resolution. CooA is a globular protein with an Ig fold and is similar in structure to the CFA/I major pilin CfaB. We determined three distinct negative-stain electron microscopic reconstructions of the CS1 pilus and generated pseudoatomic-resolution pilus structures using the CooA crystal structure. CS1 pili adopt multiple structural states with differences in subunit orientations and packing. We propose that the structural perturbations are accommodated by flexibility in the N-terminal donor strand of CooA and by plasticity in interactions between exposed flexible loops on adjacent subunits. Our results suggest that CS1 and other pili of this class are extensible filaments that can be stretched in response to mechanical stress encountered during colonization.

Generation of transgenic X. laevis models of retinal degeneration.

Transgenic models are invaluable tools for researching retinal degenerative disease mechanisms. However, they are time-consuming and expensive to generate and maintain. We have developed an alternative to transgenic rodent models of retinal degeneration using transgenic Xenopus laevis. We have optimized this system to allow rapid analysis of transgene effects in primary transgenic animals, thereby providing an alternative to establishing transgenic lines, and simultaneously allowing rigorous comparisons between the effects of different transgenes.

Vibrio cholerae El Tor TcpA crystal structure and mechanism for pilus-mediated microcolony formation.

Type IV pili (T4P) are critical to virulence for Vibrio cholerae and other bacterial pathogens. Among their diverse functions, T4P mediate microcolony formation, which protects the bacteria from host defences and concentrates secreted toxins. The T4P of the two V. cholerae O1 disease biotypes, classical and El Tor, share 81% identity in their TcpA subunits, yet these filaments differ in their interaction patterns as assessed by electron microscopy. To understand the molecular basis for pilus-mediated microcolony formation, we solved a 1.5 A resolution crystal structure of N-terminally truncated El Tor TcpA and compared it with that of classical TcpA. Residues that differ between the two pilins are located on surface-exposed regions of the TcpA subunits. By iteratively changing these non-conserved amino acids in classical TcpA to their respective residues in El Tor TcpA, we identified residues that profoundly affect pilus:pilus interaction patterns and bacterial aggregation. These residues lie on either the protruding d-region of the TcpA subunit or in a cavity between pilin subunits in the pilus filament. Our results support a model whereby pili interact via intercalation of surface protrusions on one filament into depressions between subunits on adjacent filaments as a means to hold V. cholerae cells together in microcolonies.

[Removal characteristic of pathogenic protozoan in wastewater treatment and reclamation process].

The concentration of pathogenic protozoan (Cryptosporidium and Giardia) in water samples of different units in a full-scale wastewater treatment plant in Beijing was investigated periodically. The average concentrations of Cryptosporidium detected in untreated wastewater, primary sedimentation, secondary sedimentation, flocculation-sedimentation and sand-filtration effluent were 238, 179, 6, 1, 0.3 oocysts/L respectively, and the average concentrations of Giardia were 1568, 1048, 22, 4, 0.6 cysts/L respectively. The total removal efficiencies of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in this treatment process were 2.98 and 3.46 log respectively. Very little protozoan in wastewater could be removed by preliminary treatment process, the removal efficiencies were only 0.13 and 0.18 log respectively. Biological treatment unit had the highest removal efficiency, up to 1.50 and 1.67 log respectively. Advanced treatment process could enhance the removal of the protozoan effectively. The results also showed that the pollution level of pathogenic protozoan in the influent of wastewater treatment and reclamation plant was various according to the climate, high in dry seasons and low in rainy season.

[Removal characteristics and mechanism of Cryptosporidium and Giardia from secondary effluent in flocculation process].

Removal of Cryptosporidium and Giardia under different reaction conditions, such as flocculent dosage, pH, temperature, were investigated to study the removal characteristic and mechanism of pathogenic protozoan in a flocculation process. The experimental results showed that after flocculation, there were not good linear relationships between average t potential of colloid in water samples and removal efficiency of the two kinds of microspheres, the surrogates of the pathogenic protozoan, or the residual turbidity (R = 0.49, 0.48, 0.65). But the linear relationship between the removal of the two kinds of microspheres was obvious (R = 0.99), and there were also good exponential relationships between the removal of microspheres and residual turbidity (R = 0.92,0.95). Sweep flocculation appeared to be an important mechanism for protozoan removal under the conditions in this study. The removal efficiency of Giardia was higher than that of Cryptosporidium under same reaction conditions.

[Effect of reaction conditions on the removal of pathogenic protozoan from secondary effluent in flocculation process].

Cryptosporidium and Giardia in reclaimed water are endangering the health of human beings by direct and indirect ways. Compared with traditional disinfection measures, flocculation, clarification and filtration can remove the pathogenic protozoan from wastewater more effectively. The factors affecting the removal of pathogenic protozoan from secondary effluent in flocculation process, including type and dosage of flocculant, pH, temperature and other reaction conditions were studied. The experimental results showed that the effectiveness of pathogenic protozoan removal appeared to be good at pH 6 - 8 and bad at low temperature. The effectiveness increased with the increase of ferric chloride dosage. Aluminium sulphate and poly aluminium chloride gave better performance in removal of pathogenic protozoan at the dosage of 70 mg/L and 20 mg/L respectively.

[Improvement of method for detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in wastewater reuse system].

Cryptosporidium and Giardia are two common species of pathogenic protozoan, seriously endangering the water quality. Former work indicated that compared to the USEPA method 1623, the procedure using membrane filtration-elution as a concentration method for detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia attained better recovery and lower cost. Several improvements of membrane filtration-elution step as well as immunomagnetic separation (IMS) step were investigated and an optimal method for detection of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in wastewater reuse system was recommended in this study. The experimental results showed that overnight soak of membrane after scraping and vortex agitation before elution could enhance and stabilize the recovery. Increasing turbidity to 4NTU by adding kaolin clay could effectively improve the recovery of low-turbidity water. Washing concentrate after centrifugation and twice acid dissociation both reduced the impact of water quality. Protozoan in different water samples were detected by this optimal method, and recovery of Cryptosporidium and Giardia are above 70% and 80% respectively, far beyond the acceptance of method 1623.