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Li Y, Sundquist K, Vats S, Hong MG, Wang X, Chen Y, Hedelius A, Saal LH, Sundquist J, Memon AA. Mitochondrial heteroplasmic shifts reveal a positive selection of breast cancer. J Transl Med 2023; 21:696. [PMID: 37798736 PMCID: PMC10557196 DOI: 10.1186/s12967-023-04534-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer is, despite screening, not always detected early enough and is together with other tumor types known to shed genetic information in circulation. Unlike single-copy nuclear DNA, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copies range from 100s to 10,000s per cell, thus providing a potentially alternative to identify potential missing cancer information in circulation at an early stage. METHODS To characterize mitochondrial mutation landscapes in breast cancer, whole mtDNA sequencing and bioinformatics analyses were performed on 86 breast cancer biopsies and 50 available matched baseline cancer-free whole blood samples from the same individuals, selected from a cohort of middle-aged women in Sweden. To determine whether the mutations can be detected in blood plasma prior to cancer diagnosis, we further designed a nested case-control study (n = 663) and validated the shortlisted mutations using droplet digital PCR. RESULTS We detected different mutation landscapes between biopsies and matched whole blood samples. Compared to whole blood samples, mtDNA from biopsies had higher heteroplasmic mutations in the D-loop region (P = 0.02), RNR2 (P = 0.005), COX1 (P = 0.037) and CYTB (P = 0.006). Furthermore, the germline mtDNA mutations had higher heteroplasmy level than the lost (P = 0.002) and de novo mutations (P = 0.04). The nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution ratio (dN/dS) was higher for the heteroplasmic mutations (P = 7.25 × 10-12) than that for the homoplasmic mutations, but the de novo (P = 0.06) and lost mutations (P = 0.03) had lower dN/dS than the germline mutations. Interestingly, we found that the critical regions for mitochondrial transcription: MT-HSP1 (odds ratio [OR]: 21.41), MT-TFH (OR: 7.70) and MT-TAS2 (OR: 3.62), had significantly higher heteroplasmic mutations than the rest of the D-loop sub-regions. Finally, we found that the presence of mt.16093T > C mutation increases 67% risk of developing breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS Our findings show that mitochondrial genetic landscape changes during cancer pathogenesis and positive selection of mtDNA heteroplasmic mutations in breast cancer. Most importantly, the mitochondrial mutations identified in biopsies can be traced back in matched plasma samples and could potentially be used as early breast cancer diagnostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanni Li
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden.
- Center for Primary Health Care Research Wallenberg Laboratory, Skåne University Hospital, 5th floor, Inga Marie Nilssons gata 53, S-205 02, Malmö, Sweden.
| | - Kristina Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Functional Pathology, Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), School of Medicine, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan
| | - Sakshi Vats
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Mun-Gwan Hong
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Stockholm University, Solna, Sweden
| | - Xiao Wang
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Yilun Chen
- Division of Oncology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Medicon Village, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anna Hedelius
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
| | - Lao H Saal
- Division of Oncology, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Lund University, Medicon Village, Lund, Sweden
| | - Jan Sundquist
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Functional Pathology, Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education (CoHRE), School of Medicine, Shimane University, Matsue, Japan
| | - Ashfaque A Memon
- Center for Primary Health Care Research, Lund University/Region Skåne, Malmö, Sweden
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Liu Z, Simayijiang H, Wang Q, Yang J, Sun H, Wu R, Yan J. DNA and protein analyses of hair in forensic genetics. Int J Legal Med 2023; 137:613-633. [PMID: 36732435 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-023-02955-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Hair is one of the most common pieces of biological evidence found at a crime scene and plays an essential role in forensic investigation. Hairs, especially non-follicular hairs, are usually found at various crime scenes, either by natural shedding or by forcible shedding. However, the genetic material in hairs is usually highly degraded, which makes forensic analysis difficult. As a result, the value of hair has not been fully exploited in forensic investigations and trials. In recent years, with advances in molecular biology, forensic analysis of hair has achieved remarkable strides and provided crucial clues in numerous cases. This article reviews recent developments in DNA and protein analysis of hair and attempts to provide a comprehensive solution to improve forensic hair analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyong Liu
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Halimureti Simayijiang
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong, Shanxi, 030600, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiangwei Wang
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingyi Yang
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyu Sun
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.,Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Riga Wu
- Faculty of Forensic Medicine, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China. .,Guangdong Province Translational Forensic Medicine Engineering Technology Research Center, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510080, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jiangwei Yan
- School of Forensic Medicine, Shanxi Medical University, Jinzhong, Shanxi, 030600, People's Republic of China.
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McElhoe JA, Wilton PR, Parson W, Holland MM. Exploring statistical weight estimates for mitochondrial DNA matches involving heteroplasmy. Int J Legal Med 2022; 136:671-685. [PMID: 35243529 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-022-02774-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) of mitochondrial (mt) DNA allows forensic laboratories to report heteroplasmy on a routine basis. Statistical approaches will be needed to determine the relative frequency of observing an mtDNA haplotype when including the presence of a heteroplasmic site. Here, we examined 1301 control region (CR) sequences, collected from individuals in four major population groups (European, African, Asian, and Latino), and covering 24 geographically distributed haplogroups, to assess the rates of point heteroplasmy (PHP) on an individual and nucleotide position (np) basis. With a minor allele frequency (MAF) threshold of 2%, the data was similar across population groups, with an overall PHP rate of 37.7%, and the majority of heteroplasmic individuals (77.3%) having only one site of heteroplasmy. The majority (75.2%) of identified PHPs had an MAF of 2-10%, and were observed at 12.6% of the nps across the CR. Both the broad and phylogenetic testing suggested that in many cases the low number of observations of heteroplasmy at any one np results in a lack of statistical association. The posterior frequency estimates, which skew conservative to a degree depending on the sample size in a given haplogroup, had a mean of 0.152 (SD 0.134) and ranged from 0.031 to 0.83. As expected, posterior frequency estimates decreased in accordance with 1/n as the sample size (n) increased. This provides a proposed conservative statistical framework for assessing haplotype/heteroplasmy matches when applying an MPS technique in forensic cases and will allow for continual refinement as more data is generated, both within the CR and across the mitochondrial genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A McElhoe
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Forensic Science Program, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 014 Thomas Building, State College, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Peter R Wilton
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- 23andMe Inc, Sunnyvale, CA, 94086, USA
| | - Walther Parson
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Forensic Science Program, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 014 Thomas Building, State College, PA, 16802, USA
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Medical University of Innsbruck, Müllerstraße 44, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mitchell M Holland
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Forensic Science Program, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 014 Thomas Building, State College, PA, 16802, USA
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Reducing the Number of Mismatches between Hairs and Buccal References When Analysing mtDNA Heteroplasmic Variation by Massively Parallel Sequencing. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11111355. [PMID: 33207560 PMCID: PMC7696041 DOI: 10.3390/genes11111355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
In forensics, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis is foremost applied to rootless hairs often lacking detectable nuclear DNA. Sanger sequencing is the routine mtDNA method in most forensic laboratories, even though interpretation of mixed samples and heteroplasmic sites can be challenging. Individuals may hold cells with low-level heteroplasmy variants below the detection threshold and other cells where this minor variant is the major one. This difference may be interpreted as a mismatch between reference and evidentiary trace samples, such as buccal specimens and rootless hairs. Such mismatches may be solved by Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS), allowing more sensitive quantitative analysis for mixed positions than Sanger. The mtDNA control region was analysed in buccal reference samples from 26 individuals and 475 corresponding hairs by MPS and compared to Sanger sequencing data generated on the same samples. With MPS, mixed contributions down to 3% were regarded, leading to a substantial increase in the frequency of heteroplasmy. Our results demonstrate that previously reported mismatches between buccal reference and hair shaft samples by Sanger are detected as low-level heteroplasmy by MPS. A detailed overview of buccal and hair heteroplasmy is provided and implications for MPS-based mtDNA analysis in the context of forensic cases are discussed.
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Barrio PA, García Ó, Phillips C, Prieto L, Gusmão L, Fernández C, Casals F, Freitas JM, González-Albo MDC, Martín P, Mosquera A, Navarro-Vera I, Paredes M, Pérez JA, Pinzón A, Rasal R, Ruiz-Ramírez J, Trindade BR, Alonso A. The first GHEP-ISFG collaborative exercise on forensic applications of massively parallel sequencing. Forensic Sci Int Genet 2020; 49:102391. [PMID: 32957016 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsigen.2020.102391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Revised: 08/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
One of the main goals of the Spanish and Portuguese-Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (GHEP-ISFG) is to promote and contribute to the development and dissemination of scientific knowledge in the field of forensic genetics. The GHEP-ISFG supports several Working Commissions which develop different scientific activities. One of them, the Working Commission on "Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS): Forensic Applications", organized its first collaborative exercise on forensic applications of MPS technology in 2019. The aim of this exercise was to assess the concordance between the MPS results and those obtained with conventional technologies (capillary electrophoresis and Sanger sequencing), as well as to compare the results obtained within the different MPS platforms and/or the different kits/panels and analysis software packages (commercial and open-access) available on the market. The seven participating laboratories analyzed some samples of the annual GHEP-ISFG proficiency test (EIADN No. 27 (2019)), using Ion Torrent™ or MiSeq FGx® platforms. Six of them sent autosomal STR sequence data, five laboratories performed MPS analysis of individual identification SNPs, four laboratories reported MPS data of Y-chromosomal STRs, and X-chromosomal STRs, three laboratories performed MPS analysis of ancestry informative SNPs and phenotype informative SNPs, two labs performed MPS analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region, and only one lab produced MPS data of lineage informative SNPs. Autosomal STR sequencing results were highly concordant to the consensus obtained by capillary electrophoresis in the EIADN No. 27 (2019) exercise. Furthermore, in general, a high level of concordance was observed between the results of the participating laboratories, regardless of the platform used. The main discordances were due to errors during the analysis process or from sequence data obtained with low depth of coverage. In this paper we highlight some issues that still arise, such as standardization of the nomenclature for STRs analyzed by sequencing with MPS, the universal uptake of a nomenclature framework by the analysis software, and well established validation and accreditation of the new MPS platforms for use in routine forensic case-work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro A Barrio
- Working Commission on "Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS): Forensic Applications" of the GHEP-ISFG (The Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics), Spain; Biology Service, National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Department of Madrid, Spain.
| | - Óscar García
- Working Commission on "Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS): Forensic Applications" of the GHEP-ISFG (The Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics), Spain; Forensic Science Unit, Forensic Genetics Section, Basque Country Police, Erandio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Christopher Phillips
- Working Commission on "Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS): Forensic Applications" of the GHEP-ISFG (The Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics), Spain; Forensic Genetics Unit, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Lourdes Prieto
- Working Commission on "Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS): Forensic Applications" of the GHEP-ISFG (The Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics), Spain; Forensic Genetics Unit, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; Comisaría General de Policía Científica, Madrid, Spain
| | - Leonor Gusmão
- Working Commission on "Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS): Forensic Applications" of the GHEP-ISFG (The Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics), Spain; DNA Diagnostics Laboratory (LDD), State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Coro Fernández
- Quality Service, National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Department of Madrid, Spain
| | - Ferran Casals
- Servei de Genòmica, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge M Freitas
- Instituto Nacional de Criminalística, Polícia Federal, Brazil
| | | | - Pablo Martín
- Biology Service, National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Department of Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Mosquera
- Forensic Genetics Unit, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Paredes
- Subdirección de Investigación Científica, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses, Colombia
| | - Juan Antonio Pérez
- Forensic Science Unit, Forensic Genetics Section, Basque Country Police, Erandio, Bizkaia, Spain
| | - Andrea Pinzón
- Grupo Nacional de Ciencias Forenses, Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal y Ciencias Forenses, Colombia
| | - Raquel Rasal
- Servei de Genòmica, Departament de Ciències Experimentals i de la Salut, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Antonio Alonso
- Working Commission on "Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS): Forensic Applications" of the GHEP-ISFG (The Spanish and Portuguese Speaking Working Group of the International Society for Forensic Genetics), Spain; Biology Service, National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences, Department of Madrid, Spain
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