Multiomic 5-letter sequencing maps DNA modifications and genetic mutations in breast cancer cells

Researchers in Dr Sam Aparicio’s group at the British Columbia Cancer Research Centre (BCCRC) and the University of British Columbia, BC, Canada, utilised 5-letter sequencing technology, duet multiomics solution +modC, to investigate ‘epigenetic rewiring’ in breast cancer cells.

In this study, duet multiomics solution +modC helped to reveal:

• the epigenetic landscape of untransformed diploid breast epithelial cells with wild-type, p53-/-RCA1-/- and p53-/-BRCA2-/- genetic backgrounds
• significant activation of stem cell enhancers through reduced DNA methylation in p53-/-BRCA1-/- cells only similar activation of stem cell enhancers in a triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) patient xenograft sample
• the epigenetic rewiring caused by BRCA1-/-, identifying it as a crucial gene for this type of cancer pathogenesis