Association of a germline copy number polymorphism of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B with burden of putative APOBEC-dependent mutations in breast cancer

作者：Nik Zainal Serena; Wedge David C; Alexandrov Ludmil B; Petljak Mia; Butler Adam P; Bolli Niccolo; Davies Helen R; Knappskog Stian; Martin Sancha; Papaemmanuil Eli; Ramakrishna Manasa; Shlien Adam; Simonic Ingrid; Xue Yali; Tyler Smith Chris; Campbell Peter J; Stratton Michael R^*

来源：Nature Genetics, 2014, 46(5): 487-491.

DOI：10.1038/ng.2955

The somatic mutations in a cancer genome are the aggregate outcome of one or more mutational processes operative through the lifetime of the individual with cancer(1-3). Each mutational process leaves a characteristic mutational signature determined by the mechanisms of DNA damage and repair that constitute it. A role was recently proposed for the APOBEC family of cytidine deaminases in generating particular genome-wide mutational signatures(1,4) and a signature of localized hypermutation called kataegis1,4. A germline copy number polymorphism involving APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B, which effectively deletes APOBEC3B(5), has been associated with modestly increased risk of breast cancer(6-8). Here we show that breast cancers in carriers of the deletion show more mutations of the putative APOBEC-dependent genome-wide signatures than cancers in non-carriers. The results suggest that the APOBEC3A-APOBEC3B germline deletion allele confers cancer susceptibility through increased activity of APOBEC-dependent mutational processes, although the mechanism by which this increase in activity occurs remains unknown.

• 出版日期2014-5