Somatic mutation patterns in non-lymphoid cancers resemble the strand biased somatic hypermutation spectra of antibody genes

Somatic mutation patterns at Ig and Non-Ig Loci

The reverse transcriptase (RT) model of immunoglobulin (Ig) somatic hypermutation (SHM) has received insufficient scientific attention. This is understandable given that DNA deamination mediated by activation-induced deaminase (AID), the initiating step of Ig SHM, has dominated experiments since 2002. We summarise some key history of the RT Ig SHM model dating to 1987. For example, it is now established that DNA polymerase η, the sole DNA repair polymerase involved in post-replication short-patch repair, is an efficient cellular RT. This implies that it is potentially able to initiate target site reverse transcription by RNA-directed DNA repair at AID-induced lesions. Recently, DNA polymerase θ has also been shown to be an efficient cellular RT. Since DNA polymerase θ plays no significant role in Ig SHM, it could serve a similar RNA-dependent DNA polymerase role as DNA polymerase η at non-Ig loci in the putative RNA-templated nucleotide excision repair of bulky adducts and other mutagenic lesions on the transcribed strand. A major yet still poorly recognised consequence of the proposed RT process in Ig SHM is the generation of significant and characteristic strand-biased mutation signatures at both deoxyadenosine/deoxythymidine and deoxyguanosine/deoxycytidine base pairs. In this historical perspective, we highlight how diagnostic strand-biased mutation signatures are detected in vivo during SHM at both Ig loci in germinal centre B lymphocytes and non-Ig loci in cancer genomes. These strand-biased signatures have been significantly obscured by technical issues created by improper use of the polymerase chain reaction technique. A heightened awareness of this fact should contribute to better data interpretation and somatic mutation pattern recognition both at Ig and non-Ig loci.

A proposed reverse transcription mechanism for (CAG)n and similar expandable repeats that cause neurological and other diseases

The mechanism of (CAG)n repeat generation, and related expandable repeat diseases in non-dividing cells, is currently understood in terms of a DNA template-based DNA repair synthesis process involving hairpin stabilized slippage, local error-prone repair via MutSβ (MSH2-MSH3) hairpin protective stabilization, then nascent strand extension by DNA polymerases-β and -δ. We advance a very similar slipped hairpin-stabilized model involving MSH2-MSH3 with two key differences: the copying template may also be the nascent pre-mRNA with the repair pathway being mediated by the Y-family error-prone enzymes DNA polymerase-η and DNA polymerase-κ acting as reverse transcriptases. We argue that both DNA-based and RNA-based mechanisms could well be activated in affected non-dividing brain cells in vivo. Here, we compare the advantages of the RNA/RT-based model proposed by us as an adjunct to previously proposed models. In brief, our model depends upon dysregulated innate and adaptive immunity cascades involving AID/APOBEC and ADAR deaminases that are known to be involved in normal locus-specific immunoglobulin somatic hypermutation, cancer progression and somatic mutations at many off-target non-immunoglobulin sites across the genome: we explain how these processes could also play an active role in repeat expansion diseases at RNA polymerase II-transcribed genes.

Regulatory T cells and co-evolution of allele-specific MHC recognition by the TCR

What is the evolutionary mechanism for the TCR-MHC-conserved interaction? We extend Dembic's model (Dembic Z. In, Scand J Immunol e12806, 2019) of thymus positive selection for high-avidity anti-self-MHC Tregs among double (CD4 + CD8+)-positive (DP) developing thymocytes. This model is based on competition for self-MHC (+ Pep) complexes presented on cortical epithelium. Such T cells exit as CD4 + CD25+FoxP3 + thymic-derived Tregs (tTregs). The other positively selected DP T cells are then negatively selected on medulla epithelium removing high-avidity anti-self-MHC + Pep as T cells commit to CD4 + or CD8 + lineages. The process is likened to the competitive selection and affinity maturation in Germinal Centre for the somatic hypermutation (SHM) of rearranged immunoglobulin (Ig) variable region (V[D]Js) of centrocytes bearing antigen-specific B cell receptors (BCR). We now argue that the same direct SHM processes for TCRs occur in post-antigenic Germinal Centres, but now occurring in peripheral pTregs. This model provides a potential solution to a long-standing problem previously recognized by Cohn and others (Cohn M, Anderson CC, Dembic Z. In, Scand J Immunol e12790, 2019) of how co-evolution occurs of species-specific MHC alleles with the repertoire of their germline TCR V counterparts. We suggest this is not by 'blind', slow, and random Darwinian natural selection events, but a rapid structured somatic selection vertical transmission process. The pTregs bearing somatic TCR V mutant genes then, on arrival in reproductive tissues, can donate their TCR V sequences via soma-to-germline feedback as discussed in this journal earlier. (Steele EJ, Lindley RA. In, Scand J Immunol e12670, 2018) The high-avidity tTregs also participate in the same process to maintain a biased, high-avidity anti-self-MHC germline V repertoire.

Molecular model linking Th2 polarized M2 tumour-associated macrophages with deaminase-mediated cancer progression mutation signatures

A new and diverse range of somatic mutation signatures are observed in late‐stage cancers, but the underlying reasons are not fully understood. We advance a “combinatorial association model” for deaminase binding domain (DBD) diversification to explain the generation of previously observed cancer‐progression associated mutation signatures. We also propose that changes in the polarization of tumour‐associated macrophages (TAMs) are accompanied by the expression of deaminases with a new and diverse range of DBDs, and thus accounting for the generation of new somatic mutation signatures. The mechanism proposed is molecularly reminiscent of combinatorial association of heavy (H) and light (L) protein chains following V(D)J recombination of immunoglobulin molecules (and similarly for protein chains in heterodimers α/β and γ/δ of V(D)Js of T Cell Receptors) required for pathogen antigen recognition by B cells and T cells, respectively. We also discuss whether extracellular vesicles (EVs) emanating from tumour enhancing M2‐polarized macrophages represent a likely source of the de novo deaminase DBDs. We conclude that M2‐polarized macrophages extruding EVs loaded with deaminase proteins or deaminase‐specific transcription/translation regulatory factors and like information may directly trigger deaminase diversification within cancer cells, and thus account for the many new somatic mutation signatures that are indicative of cancer progression. This hypothesis now has a plausible evidentiary base, and it is worth direct testing in future investigations. A long‐term objective would be to identify molecular biomarkers predicting cancer progression (or metastatic disease) and to support the development of new drug targets before metastatic pathways are activated.

APOBEC and ADAR deaminases may cause many single nucleotide polymorphisms curated in the OMIM database

Cytosine and adenosine deamination events (DNA, RNA substrates) account for most codon-context Targeted Somatic Mutation (TSM) patterns observed in immunoglobulin (Ig) somatic hypermutation (SHM), and in cancer exomes following Ig-SHM-like responses. TSM refers to the process of somatic mutagenesis involving deamination events that results on a dominant type of mutation (e.g., C-to-T), and co-incident at a particular motif (e.g., WRC), and preferentially targeting the first, second or third nucleotide position within the mutated codon (e.g. MC1, MC2 or MC3, read 5-prime to 3-prime). It is now widely accepted that if left uncorrected, the accumulation of uncorrected TSMs involving the deaminases, may lead to a diagnosis of cancer or other degenerative disease. Our hypothesis is that many missense, nonsense and synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with clinically significant diseases may have arisen in the population by similar highly targeted deamination events. The OMIM database was searched for disease-associated SNPs on the X chromosome, and for all chromosomes. The nucleotide substitution patterns for disease-associated SNPs were analyzed by the TSM method to identify the likely deaminase source for C-to-U (C-to-T/G-to-A) and A-to-I (A-to-G/T-to-C) derived gene mutations preferentially targeting known sequence motifs associated with the deaminases: AID, APOBEC3G, APOBEC3B and ADAR 1/2. Of the 789 OMIM SNPs analysed. In both data sets, the mutation targeting preferences within the mutated codon reveal a statistically significant bias (p < 0.001). The results imply that a deamination of C-site and A-site targets are written into the human germline for the chromosome wide exomic SNPs analysed. This is consistent with previously observed mutation patterns arising in cancer genomes and hypermutated Ig genes during SHM. The results imply that similar types of deaminase-mediated molecular processes that occur in somatic hypermutation and cancer, may be contributing causative drivers of human exomic SNPs.

Reverse Transcriptase Mechanism of Somatic Hypermutation: 60 Years of Clonal Selection Theory

The evidence for the reverse transcriptase mechanism of somatic hypermutation is substantial and multifactorial. In this 60th anniversary year of the publication of Sir MacFarlane Burnet's Clonal Selection Theory, the evidence is briefly reviewed and updated.

ADAR deaminase A-to-I editing of DNA and RNA moieties of RNA:DNA hybrids has implications for the mechanism of Ig somatic hypermutation

The implications are discussed of recently published biochemical studies on ADAR-mediated A-to-I DNA and RNA deamination at RNA:DNA hybrids. The significance of these data are related to previous work on strand-biased and codon-context mutation signatures in B lymphocytes and cancer genomes. Those studies have established that there are two significant strand biases at A:T and G:C base pairs, A-site mutations exceed T-site mutations (A>>T) by 2.9 fold and G-site mutations exceed C-site mutations (G>>C) by 1.7 fold. Both these strand biases are inconsistent with alternative "DNA Deamination" mechanisms, yet are expected consequences of the RNA/RT-based "Reverse Transcriptase" mechanism of immunoglobulin (Ig) somatic hypermutation (SHM). The A-to-I DNA editing component at RNA:DNA hybrids that is likely to occur in Transcription Bubbles, while important, is of far lower A-to-I editing efficiency than in dsRNA substrates. The RNA moiety of RNA:DNA hybrids is also edited at similar lower frequencies relative to the editing rate at dsRNA substrates. Further, if the A-to-I DNA editing at RNA:DNA hybrids were the sole cause of A-to-I (read as A-to-G) mutation events for Ig SHM in vivo then the exact opposite strand biases at A:T base pairs (T>>A) of what is actually observed (A>>T) would be predicted. It is concluded that the strand-biased somatic mutation patterns at both A:T and G:C base pairs in vivo are best interpreted by the sequential steps of the RNA/RT-based mechanism. Further, the direct DNA A-to-I deamination at Transcription Bubbles is expected to contribute to the T-to-C component of the strand-biased Ig SHM spectrum.

Association between targeted somatic mutation (TSM) signatures and HGS-OvCa progression

Evidence already exists that the activation‐induced cytidine deaminase (AID/APOBEC) and the adenosine deaminase (ADAR) families of enzymes are implicated as powerful mutagens in oncogenic processes in many somatic tissues. Each deaminase is identified by the DNA or RNA nucleotide sequence (“motif”) surrounding the nucleotide targeted for deamination. The primary objective of this study is to develop an in silico approach to identify nucleotide sequence changes of the target motifs of key deaminases during oncogenesis. If successful, a secondary objective is to investigate if such changes are associated with disease progression indicators that include disease stage and progression‐free survival time. Using a discovery cohort of 194 high‐grade serous ovarian adenocarcinoma (HGS‐OvCa) exomes, the results confirm the ability of the novel in silico approach used to identify changes in the preferred target motifs for AID, APOBEC3G, APOBEC3B, and ADAR1 during oncogenesis. Using this approach, a set of new cancer‐progression associated signatures (C‐PASs) were identified. Furthermore, it was found that the C‐PAS identified can be used to differentiate between the cohort of patients that remained progression‐free for longer than 60 months, from those in which disease progressed within 60 months (sensitivity 95%, specificity 90%). The spectrum of outcomes observed here could provide a foundation for future clinical assessment of susceptibility variants in ovarian, and several other cancers as disease progresses. The ability of the in silico methodology used to identify changes in deaminase motifs during oncogenesis also suggests new links between immune system function and tumorigenesis.

Critical Analysis of Strand-Biased Somatic Mutation Signatures in TP53 versus Ig Genes, in Genome-Wide Data and the Etiology of Cancer

Previous analyses of rearranged immunoglobulin (Ig) variable genes (VDJs) concluded that the mechanism of Ig somatic hypermutation (SHM) involves the Ig pre-mRNA acting as a copying template resulting in characteristic strand biased somatic mutation patterns at A:T and G:C base pairs. We have since analysed cancer genome data and found the same mutation strand-biases, in toto or in part, in nonlymphoid cancers. Here we have analysed somatic mutations in a single well-characterised gene TP53. Our goal is to understand the genesis of the strand-biased mutation patterns in TP53—and in genome-wide data—that may arise by “endogenous” mechanisms as opposed to adduct-generated DNA-targeted strand-biased mutations caused by well-characterised “external” carcinogenic influences in cigarette smoke, UV-light, and certain dietary components. The underlying strand-biased mutation signatures in TP53, for many non-lymphoid cancers, bear a striking resemblance to the Ig SHM pattern. A similar pattern can be found in genome-wide somatic mutations in cancer genomes that have also mutated TP53. The analysis implies a role for base-modified RNA template intermediates coupled to reverse transcription in the genesis of many cancers. Thus Ig SHM may be inappropriately activated in many non-lymphoid tissues via hormonal and/or inflammation-related processes leading to cancer.

Genesis of ancestral haplotypes: RNA modifications and reverse transcription-mediated polymorphisms

Understanding the genesis of the block haplotype structure of the genome is a major challenge. With the completion of the sequencing of the Human Genome and the initiation of the HapMap project the concept that the chromosomes of the mammalian genome are a mosaic, or patchwork, of conserved extended block haplotype sequences is now accepted by the mainstream genomics research community. Ancestral Haplotypes (AHs) can be viewed as a recombined string of smaller Polymorphic Frozen Blocks (PFBs). How have such variant extended DNA sequence tracts emerged in evolution? Here the relevant literature on the problem is reviewed from various fields of molecular and cell biology particularly molecular immunology and comparative and functional genomics. Based on our synthesis we then advance a testable molecular and cellular model. A critical part of the analysis concerns the origin of the strand biased mutation signatures in the transcribed regions of the human and higher primate genome, A-to-G versus T-to-C (ratio ∼ 1.5 fold) and C-to-T versus G-to-A (≥ 1.5 fold). A comparison and evaluation of the current state of the fields of immunoglobulin Somatic Hypermutation (SHM) and Transcription-Coupled DNA Repair focused on how mutations in newly synthesized RNA might be copied back to DNA thus accounting for some of the genome-wide strand biases (e.g., the A-to-G vs T-to-C component of the strand biased spectrum). We hypothesize that the genesis of PFBs and extended AHs occurs during mutagenic episodes in evolution (e.g., retroviral infections) and that many of the critical DNA sequence diversifying events occur first at the RNA level, e.g., recombination between RNA strings resulting in tandem and dispersed RNA duplications (retroduplications), RNA mutations via adenosine-to-inosine pre-mRNA editing events as well as error prone RNA synthesis. These are then copied back into DNA by a cellular reverse transcription process (also likely to be error-prone) that we have called "reverse transcription-mediated long DNA conversion." Finally we suggest that all these activities and others can be envisaged as being brought physically under the umbrella of special sites in the nucleus involved in transcription known as "transcription factories."