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Yang C, Kumar H, Kim P. FusionNW, a potential clinical impact assessment of kinases in pan-cancer fusion gene network. Brief Bioinform 2024; 25:bbae097. [PMID: 38493341 PMCID: PMC10944571 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbae097] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Kinase fusion genes are the most active fusion gene group in human cancer fusion genes. To help choose the clinically significant kinase so that the cancer patients that have fusion genes can be better diagnosed, we need a metric to infer the assessment of kinases in pan-cancer fusion genes rather than relying on the sample frequency expressed fusion genes. Most of all, multiple studies assessed human kinases as the drug targets using multiple types of genomic and clinical information, but none used the kinase fusion genes in their study. The assessment studies of kinase without kinase fusion gene events can miss the effect of one of the mechanisms that enhance the kinase function in cancer. To fill this gap, in this study, we suggest a novel way of assessing genes using a network propagation approach to infer how likely individual kinases influence the kinase fusion gene network composed of ~5K kinase fusion gene pairs. To select a better seed of propagation, we chose the top genes via dimensionality reduction like a principal component or latent layer information of six features of individual genes in pan-cancer fusion genes. Our approach may provide a novel way to assess of human kinases in cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengyuan Yang
- School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Himansu Kumar
- McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pora Kim
- McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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2
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Kumar H, Tang LY, Yang C, Kim P. FusionPDB: a knowledgebase of human fusion proteins. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D1289-D1304. [PMID: 37870473 PMCID: PMC10767906 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Tumorigenic functions due to the formation of fusion genes have been targeted for cancer therapeutics (i.e. kinase inhibitors). However, many fusion proteins involved in various cellular processes have not been studied for targeted therapeutics. This is because the lack of complete fusion protein sequences and their whole 3D structures has made it challenging to develop new therapeutic strategies. To fill these critical gaps, we developed a computational pipeline and a resource of human fusion proteins named FusionPDB, available at https://compbio.uth.edu/FusionPDB. FusionPDB is organized into four levels: 43K fusion protein sequences (14.7K in-frame fusion genes, Level 1), over 2300 + 1267 fusion protein 3D structures (from 2300 recurrent and 266 manually curated in-frame fusion genes, Level 2), pLDDT score analysis for the 1267 fusion proteins from 266 manually curated fusion genes (Level 3), and virtual screening outcomes for 68 selected fusion proteins from 266 manually curated fusion genes (Level 4). FusionPDB is the only resource providing whole 3D structures of fusion proteins and comprehensive knowledge of human fusion proteins. It will be regularly updated until it covers all human fusion proteins in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himansu Kumar
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Lin-Ya Tang
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Chengyuan Yang
- School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pora Kim
- Department of Bioinformatics and Systems Medicine, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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3
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Walker V, Jin DX, Millis SZ, Nasri E, Corao-Uribe DA, Tan AC, Fridley BL, Chen JL, Seligson ND. Gene partners of the EWSR1 fusion may represent molecularly distinct entities. Transl Oncol 2023; 38:101795. [PMID: 37797367 PMCID: PMC10593575 DOI: 10.1016/j.tranon.2023.101795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
EWSR1 fusions are highly promiscuous and are associated with unique malignancies, clinical phenotypes, and molecular subtypes. However, rare fusion partners (RFP) of EWSR1 has not been well described. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective study of 1,140 unique tumors harboring EWSR1 fusions. We identified 64 unique fusion partners. RFPs were identified more often in adults than children. Alterations in cell cycle control and DNA damage response genes as driving the differences between fusion partners. Potentially clinically actionable genomic variants were more prevalent in tumors harboring RFP than common fusions. While the data presented here is limited, tumors harboring RFP of EWSR1 may represent molecularly distinct entities and may benefit from further molecular testing to identify targeted therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Walker
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, The University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA
| | - Dexter X Jin
- Foundation Medicine Inc, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Elham Nasri
- Department of Pathology, The University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Diana A Corao-Uribe
- Department of Pathology, Nemours Children's Health, Wilmington, Delaware, USA
| | - Aik Choon Tan
- Huntsman Cancer Institute, Departments of Oncological Sciences and Biomedical Informatics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Brooke L Fridley
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, Tampa, Florida, USA
| | - James L Chen
- Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA; Department of Biomedical Informatics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Nathan D Seligson
- Department of Pharmacotherapy and Translational Research, The University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL, USA; Center for Pharmacogenomics and Translational Research, Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.
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4
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Kim P, Tan H, Liu J, Lee H, Jung H, Kumar H, Zhou X. FusionGDB 2.0: fusion gene annotation updates aided by deep learning. Nucleic Acids Res 2021; 50:D1221-D1230. [PMID: 34755868 PMCID: PMC8728198 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 11/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A knowledgebase of the systematic functional annotation of fusion genes is critical for understanding genomic breakage context and developing therapeutic strategies. FusionGDB is a unique functional annotation database of human fusion genes and has been widely used for studies with diverse aims. In this study, we report fusion gene annotation updates aided by deep learning (FusionGDB 2.0) available at https://compbio.uth.edu/FusionGDB2/. FusionGDB 2.0 has substantial updates of contents such as up-to-date human fusion genes, fusion gene breakage tendency score with FusionAI deep learning model based on 20 kb DNA sequence around BP, investigation of overlapping between fusion breakpoints with 44 human genomic features across five cellular role's categories, transcribed chimeric sequence and following open reading frame analysis with coding potential based on deep learning approach with Ribo-seq read features, and rigorous investigation of the protein feature retention of individual fusion partner genes in the protein level. Among ∼102k fusion genes, about 15k kept their ORF as In-frames, which is two times compared to the previous version, FusionGDB. FusionGDB 2.0 will be used as the reference knowledgebase of fusion gene annotations. FusionGDB 2.0 provides eight categories of annotations and it will be helpful for diverse human genomic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pora Kim
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Hua Tan
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jiajia Liu
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Haeseung Lee
- Intellectual Information Team, Future Medicine Division, Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine, Daejeon, South Korea
| | - Hyesoo Jung
- Department of Neurology, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea
| | - Himanshu Kumar
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaobo Zhou
- School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA.,School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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5
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FusionAI: Predicting fusion breakpoint from DNA sequence with deep learning. iScience 2021; 24:103164. [PMID: 34646994 PMCID: PMC8501764 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying the molecular mechanisms related to genomic breakage is an important goal of cancer mechanism studies. Among diverse locations of structural variants, fusion genes, which have the breakpoints in the gene bodies and are typically identified from the split reads of RNA-seq data, can provide a highlighted structural variant resource for studying the genomic breakages with expression and potential pathogenic impacts. In this study, we developed FusionAI, which utilizes deep learning to predict gene fusion breakpoints based on DNA sequence and let us identify fusion breakage code and genomic context. FusionAI leverages the known fusion breakpoints to provide a prediction model of the fusion genes from the primary genomic sequences via deep learning, thereby helping researchers a more accurate selection of fusion genes and better understand genomic breakage. FusionAI predicts fusion gene breakpoints from a DNA sequence FusonAI reduce the effort for validating fusion genes with other tools High feature importance regions were apart 100nt from the exon junction BPs High feature importance regions were overlapped with 44 human genomic features
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6
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Davis RB, Kaur T, Moosa MM, Banerjee PR. FUS oncofusion protein condensates recruit mSWI/SNF chromatin remodeler via heterotypic interactions between prion-like domains. Protein Sci 2021; 30:1454-1466. [PMID: 34018649 PMCID: PMC8197437 DOI: 10.1002/pro.4127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Fusion transcription factors generated by genomic translocations are common drivers of several types of cancers including sarcomas and leukemias. Oncofusions of the FET (FUS, EWSR1, and TAF15) family proteins result from the fusion of the prion-like domain (PLD) of FET proteins to the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of certain transcription regulators and are implicated in aberrant transcriptional programs through interactions with chromatin remodelers. Here, we show that FUS-DDIT3, a FET oncofusion protein, undergoes PLD-mediated phase separation into liquid-like condensates. Nuclear FUS-DDIT3 condensates can recruit essential components of the global transcriptional machinery such as the chromatin remodeler SWI/SNF. The recruitment of mammalian SWI/SNF (mSWI/SNF) is driven by heterotypic PLD-PLD interactions between FUS-DDIT3 and core subunits of SWI/SNF, such as the catalytic component BRG1. Further experiments with single-molecule correlative force-fluorescence microscopy support a model wherein the fusion protein forms condensates on DNA surface and enrich BRG1 to activate transcription by ectopic chromatin remodeling. Similar PLD-driven co-condensation of mSWI/SNF with transcription factors can be employed by other oncogenic fusion proteins with a generic PLD-DBD domain architecture for global transcriptional reprogramming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richoo B. Davis
- Department of PhysicsUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNew YorkUSA
| | - Taranpreet Kaur
- Department of PhysicsUniversity at BuffaloBuffaloNew YorkUSA
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7
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Showpnil IA, Miller KR, Taslim C, Pishas KI, Lessnick SL, Theisen ER. Mapping the Structure-Function Relationships of Disordered Oncogenic Transcription Factors Using Transcriptomic Analysis. J Vis Exp 2020. [PMID: 32658189 DOI: 10.3791/61564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Many cancers are characterized by chromosomal translocations which result in the expression of oncogenic fusion transcription factors. Typically, these proteins contain an intrinsically disordered domain (IDD) fused with the DNA-binding domain (DBD) of another protein and orchestrate widespread transcriptional changes to promote malignancy. These fusions are often the sole recurring genomic aberration in the cancers they cause, making them attractive therapeutic targets. However, targeting oncogenic transcription factors requires a better understanding of the mechanistic role that low-complexity, IDDs play in their function. The N-terminal domain of EWSR1 is an IDD involved in a variety of oncogenic fusion transcription factors, including EWS/FLI, EWS/ATF, and EWS/WT1. Here, we use RNA-sequencing to investigate the structural features of the EWS domain important for transcriptional function of EWS/FLI in Ewing sarcoma. First shRNA-mediated depletion of the endogenous fusion from Ewing sarcoma cells paired with ectopic expression of a variety of EWS-mutant constructs is performed. Then RNA-sequencing is used to analyze the transcriptomes of cells expressing these constructs to characterize the functional deficits associated with mutations in the EWS domain. By integrating the transcriptomic analyses with previously published information about EWS/FLI DNA binding motifs, and genomic localization, as well as functional assays for transforming ability, we were able to identify structural features of EWS/FLI important for oncogenesis and define a novel set of EWS/FLI target genes critical for Ewing sarcoma. This paper demonstrates the use of RNA-sequencing as a method to map the structure-function relationship of the intrinsically disordered domain of oncogenic transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iftekhar A Showpnil
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital; Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology Program, The Ohio State University
| | - Kyle R Miller
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
| | - Cenny Taslim
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
| | - Kathleen I Pishas
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital
| | - Stephen L Lessnick
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital; Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology/Blood & Marrow Transplant, The Ohio State University
| | - Emily R Theisen
- Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Diseases, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital; Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University;
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8
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Kim P, Zhou X. FusionGDB: fusion gene annotation DataBase. Nucleic Acids Res 2019; 47:D994-D1004. [PMID: 30407583 PMCID: PMC6323909 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gky1067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene fusion is one of the hallmarks of cancer genome via chromosomal rearrangement initiated by DNA double-strand breakage. To date, many fusion genes (FGs) have been established as important biomarkers and therapeutic targets in multiple cancer types. To better understand the function of FGs in cancer types and to promote the discovery of clinically relevant FGs, we built FusionGDB (Fusion Gene annotation DataBase) available at https://ccsm.uth.edu/FusionGDB. We collected 48 117 FGs across pan-cancer from three representative fusion gene resources: the improved database of chimeric transcripts and RNA-seq data (ChiTaRS 3.1), an integrative resource for cancer-associated transcript fusions (TumorFusions), and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) fusions by Gao et al. For these ∼48K FGs, we performed functional annotations including gene assessment across pan-cancer fusion genes, open reading frame (ORF) assignment, and retention search of 39 protein features based on gene structures of multiple isoforms with different breakpoints. We also provided the fusion transcript and amino acid sequences according to multiple breakpoints and transcript isoforms. Our analyses identified 331, 303 and 667 in-frame FGs with retaining kinase, DNA-binding, and epigenetic factor domains, respectively, as well as 976 FGs lost protein-protein interaction. FusionGDB provides six categories of annotations: FusionGeneSummary, FusionProtFeature, FusionGeneSequence, FusionGenePPI, RelatedDrug and RelatedDisease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pora Kim
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaobo Zhou
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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9
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Boija A, Klein IA, Sabari BR, Dall'Agnese A, Coffey EL, Zamudio AV, Li CH, Shrinivas K, Manteiga JC, Hannett NM, Abraham BJ, Afeyan LK, Guo YE, Rimel JK, Fant CB, Schuijers J, Lee TI, Taatjes DJ, Young RA. Transcription Factors Activate Genes through the Phase-Separation Capacity of Their Activation Domains. Cell 2018; 175:1842-1855.e16. [PMID: 30449618 PMCID: PMC6295254 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2018.10.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 968] [Impact Index Per Article: 161.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Gene expression is controlled by transcription factors (TFs) that consist of DNA-binding domains (DBDs) and activation domains (ADs). The DBDs have been well characterized, but little is known about the mechanisms by which ADs effect gene activation. Here, we report that diverse ADs form phase-separated condensates with the Mediator coactivator. For the OCT4 and GCN4 TFs, we show that the ability to form phase-separated droplets with Mediator in vitro and the ability to activate genes in vivo are dependent on the same amino acid residues. For the estrogen receptor (ER), a ligand-dependent activator, we show that estrogen enhances phase separation with Mediator, again linking phase separation with gene activation. These results suggest that diverse TFs can interact with Mediator through the phase-separating capacity of their ADs and that formation of condensates with Mediator is involved in gene activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann Boija
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Isaac A Klein
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Medical Oncology, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Benjamin R Sabari
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | | | - Eliot L Coffey
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Alicia V Zamudio
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Charles H Li
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Krishna Shrinivas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Institute of Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - John C Manteiga
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Nancy M Hannett
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Brian J Abraham
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Lena K Afeyan
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Yang E Guo
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Jenna K Rimel
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Charli B Fant
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Jurian Schuijers
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Tong Ihn Lee
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - Dylan J Taatjes
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Richard A Young
- Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA; Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
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