Cited by 1,029Cancer Genomics and DiagnosticsSingle-cell and spatial transcriptomicsGenomic variations and chromosomal abnormalities

Clonal evolution in breast cancer revealed by single nucleus genome sequencing

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Wang, Yong, Waters, Jill, Leung, Marco L., Unruh, Anna, Roh, Whijae, Shi, Xiuqing, Chen, Ken, Scheet, Paul +8 more·2014·Nature

Abstract

Sequencing studies of breast tumour cohorts have identified many prevalent mutations, but provide limited insight into the genomic diversity within tumours. Here we developed a whole-genome and exome single cell sequencing approach called nuc-seq that uses G2/M nuclei to achieve 91% mean coverage breadth. We applied this method to sequence single normal and tumour nuclei from an oestrogen-receptor-positive (ER(+)) breast cancer and a triple-negative ductal carcinoma. In parallel, we performed single nuclei copy number profiling. Our data show that aneuploid rearrangements occurred early in tumour evolution and remained highly stable as the tumour masses clonally expanded. In contrast, point mutations evolved gradually, generating extensive clonal diversity. Using targeted single-molecule sequencing, many of the diverse mutations were shown to occur at low frequencies (<10%) in the tumour mass. Using mathematical modelling we found that the triple-negative tumour cells had an increased mutation rate (13.3×), whereas the ER(+) tumour cells did not. These findings have important implications for the diagnosis, therapeutic treatment and evolution of chemoresistance in breast cancer.

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  • Rapid technological advances have enabled genome-wide profiling of RNA, DNA, protein, epigenetic modifications, chromatin accessibility, and other molecular events in single cells.

    “rapid technological advances have enabled genome-wide profiling of RNA7–10, DNA11–17, protein18–21, epigenetic modifications22–26, chromatin accessibility27,28, and other molecular events29 in single cells.”
  • These methods have been used to decipher pathological evolution in tumors and somatic mosaicism in healthy tissues and in non-cancerous disease.

    “These methods have been used to decipher pathological evolution in tumors11,15,195–197 and somatic mosaicism198 in healthy tissues and in non-cancerous disease199–203.”

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Authors
Wang, Y., Waters, J., Leung, M. L., Unruh, A., Roh, W., Shi, X., Chen, K., Scheet, P., Vattathil, S., Liang, H., Multani, A., Zhang, H., Zhao, R., Michor, F., Meric-Bernstam, F., & Navin, N. E.
Affiliations
  • The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Navin, Nicholas E.
Venue
Nature
Published
2014-07-30
Volume
512
Issue
7513
Pages
155-160
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2129288227
Cited by
1,029
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 30 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 51 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 83 · 2021: 98 · 2020: 99 · 2019: 88 · 2018: 102 · 2017: 136 · 2016: 124 · 2015: 106 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 1
FWCI
41.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Digital Access to Scholarship at Harvard (DASH) (Harvard University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (UL1TR000371)
  • National Cancer Institute (CA 016672, R01CA172652, R01CA169244, U24CA143883, R21CA174397, U54CA143798, P30CA016672)
  • National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genomic variations and chromosomal abnormalities
Keywords
breast cancer, clonal evolution, intratumoral heterogeneity, single-nucleus sequencing, aneuploidy, copy number profiling, point mutations, mutation rate, triple-negative breast cancer, estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, ductal carcinoma, clonal diversity, tumor evolution
MeSH terms
Breast Neoplasms, Female, Humans, Models, Theoretical, Mutation, Genetic Variation, DNA Fingerprinting, Genome, Sequence Analysis, DNA, Cell Line, Tumor, Single-Cell Analysis, Clonal Evolution, Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms

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