Biology subjects

Williams, L. N.

Publications and source records attributed to Williams, L. N..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

Adopting Duplex Sequencing Technology for Genetic Toxicity Testing: A Proof-of-Concept Mutagenesis Experiment with N-Ethyl-N-Nitrosourea (ENU)-Exposed Rats

Duplex sequencing (DuplexSeq) is an error-corrected next-generation sequencing (ecNGS) method in which molecular barcodes informatically link PCR-copies back to their source DNA strands, enabling computational removal of errors by comparing grouped strand sequencing reads. The resulting background of less than one artifactual mutation per 107 nucleotides allows for direct detection of somatic mutations. TwinStrand Biosciences, Inc. has developed a DuplexSeq-based mutagenesis assay to sample the rat genome, which can be applied to genetic toxicity testing. To evaluate this assay for early detection of mutagenesis, a time-course study was conducted using male Hsd:Sprague Dawley SD rats (3 per group) administered a single dose of 40 mg/kg N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) via gavage, with mutation frequency (MF) and spectrum analyzed in stomach, bone marrow, blood, and liver tissues at 3 h, 24 h, 7 d, and 28 d post-exposure. Significant increases in MF were observed in ENU-exposed rats as early as 24 h for stomach (site of contact) and bone marrow (a highly proliferative tissue) and at 7 d for liver and blood. The canonical, mutational signature of ENU was established by 7 d post-exposure in all four tissues. Interlaboratory analysis of a subset of samples from different tissues and time points demonstrated remarkable reproducibility for both MF and spectrum. These results demonstrate that MF and spectrum can be evaluated successfully by directly sequencing targeted regions of DNA obtained from various tissues, a considerable advancement compared to currently used in vivo gene mutation assays. HIGHLIGHTSO_LIDuplexSeq is an ultra-accurate NGS technology that directly quantifies mutations C_LIO_LIENU-dependent mutagenesis was detected 24 h post-exposure in proliferative tissues C_LIO_LIMultiple tissues exhibited the canonical ENU mutation spectrum 7 d after exposure C_LIO_LIResults obtained with DuplexSeq were highly concordant between laboratories C_LIO_LIThe Rat-50 Mutagenesis Assay is promising for applications in genetic toxicology C_LI

genomics↗

bioRxiv2020

Direct Quantification of in vivo Mutagenesis Using Duplex Sequencing

The ability to accurately measure mutations is critical for basic research and identification of potential drug and chemical carcinogens. Current methods for in vivo quantification of mutagenesis are limited because they rely on transgenic rodent systems that are low-throughput, expensive, prolonged, and dont fully represent other species such as humans. Next generation sequencing (NGS) is a conceptually attractive alternative for mutation detection in the DNA of any organism, however, the limit of resolution for standard NGS is poor. Technical error rates (~1x10-3) of NGS obscure the true abundance of somatic mutations, which can exist at pernucleotide frequencies [≤]1x10-7. Using Duplex Sequencing, an extremely accurate error-corrected NGS (ecNGS) technology, we were able to detect mutations induced by 3 carcinogens in 5 tissues of 2 strains of mice within 31 days following exposure. We observed a strong correlation between mutation induction measured by Duplex Sequencing and the gold-standard transgenic rodent mutation assay. We identified exposure-specific mutation spectra of each compound through trinucleotide patterns of base substitution. We observed variation in mutation susceptibility by genomic region, as well as by DNA strand. We also identified the primordial signs of carcinogenesis in a cancer-predisposed strain of mice, as evidenced by clonal expansions of cells carrying an activated oncogene, less than a month after carcinogen exposure. These findings demonstrate that ecNGS is a powerful method for sensitively detecting and characterizing mutagenesis and the early clonal evolutionary hallmarks of carcinogenesis. Duplex Sequencing can be broadly applied to chemical safety testing, basic mutational research, and related clinical uses. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTError-corrected next generation sequencing (ecNGS) can be used to rapidly detect and quantify the in vivo mutagenic impact of environmental exposures or endogenous processes in any tissue, from any species, at any genomic location. The greater speed, higher scalability, richer data outputs, as well as cross-species and cross-locus applicability of ecNGS compared to existing methods make it a powerful new tool for mutational research, regulatory safety testing, and emerging clinical applications.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2018

Ultra-sensitive sequencing for cancer detection reveals progressive clonal selection in normal tissue over a century of human lifespan

High accuracy next-generation DNA sequencing promises a paradigm shift in early cancer detection by enabling the identification of mutant cancer molecules in minimally-invasive body fluid samples. We demonstrate 80% sensitivity for ovarian cancer detection using ultra-accurate Duplex Sequencing to identify TP53 mutations in uterine lavage. However, in addition to tumor DNA, we also detect low frequency TP53 mutations in nearly all lavages from women with and without cancer. These mutations increase with age and share the selection traits of clonal TP53 mutations commonly found in human tumors. We show that low frequency TP53 mutations exist in multiple healthy tissues, from newborn to centenarian, and progressively increase in abundance and pathogenicity with older age across tissue types. Our results illustrate that subclonal cancer evolutionary processes are a ubiquitous part of normal human aging and great care must be taken to distinguish tumor-derived, from age-associated mutations in high sensitivity clinical cancer diagnostics.

cancer biology↗