The pan-cancer analysis of whole genomes The expansion of whole-genome sequencing studies from individual ICGC and TCGA working groups presented the opportunity to undertake a meta-analysis of genomic features across tumour types. To achieve this, the PCAWG Consortium was established. A Technical Working Group implemented the informatics analyses by aggregating the raw sequencing data from different working groups that studied individual tumour types, aligning the sequences to the human genome and delivering a set of high-quality somatic mutation calls for downstream analysis (Extended Data Fig. 1). Given the recent meta-analysis

downstream of the source element, in a process called 3′ transduction 7-9. L1 retrotransposons can also promote the somatic transmobilization of Alu elements, SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) elements and processed pseudogenes, which are copies of mRNAs that have been reverse transcribed into DNA and inserted into the genome with the machinery of active L1 elements 10-12. Approximately 50% of human tumors contain somatic retrotranspositions of L1 elements 7,13-15. Previous analyses indicate that although a fraction of somatically acquired L1 insertions in cancer may influence gene function, the majority of retrotransposon integrations in a single tumor represent passenger mutations with little or no effect on cancer development 7,13. Nonetheless, L1 elements are capable of promoting other types of genomic structural alterations in the germline and somatically, in addition to canonical L1 insertion events 16-18 ; the effect of these alterations remains largely unexplored in the context of human cancer 19,20 .

Somatic mutations drive cancer development and may contribute to ageing and other diseases. Yet, the di culty of detecting mutations present only in single cells or small clones has limited our knowledge of somatic mutagenesis to a minority of tissues. To overcome these limitations, we introduce nanorate sequencing (NanoSeq), a new duplex sequencing protocol with error rates <5 errors per billion base pairs in single DNA molecules from cell populations. The version of the protocol described here uses clean genome fragmentation with a restriction enzyme to prevent end-repair-associated errors and ddBTPs/dATPs during A-tailing to prevent nick extension. Both changes reduce the error rate of standard duplex sequencing protocols by preventing the xation of DNA damage into both strands of DNA molecules during library preparation. We also use qPCR quanti cation of the library prior to ampli cation to optimise the complexity of the sequencing library given the desired sequencing coverage, maximising duplex coverage. The sample preparation protocol takes between 1 and 2 days, depending on the number of samples processed. The bioinformatic protocol is described in:

SummaryTransmissible cancers are clonal lineages that spread through populations via contagious cancer cells. Although rare in nature, two facial tumor clones affect Tasmanian devils. Here we perform comparative genetic and functional characterization of these lineages. The two cancers have similar patterns of mutation and show no evidence of exposure to exogenous mutagens or viruses. Genes encoding PDGF receptors have copy number gains and are present on extrachromosomal double minutes. Drug screening indicates causative roles for receptor tyrosine kinases and sensitivity to inhibitors of DNA repair. Y chromosome loss from a male clone infecting a female host suggests immunoediting. These results imply that Tasmanian devils may have inherent susceptibility to transmissible cancers and present a suite of therapeutic compounds for use in conservation.

The rates and patterns of somatic mutation in normal tissues are largely unknown outside of humans1–7. Comparative analyses can shed light on the diversity of mutagenesis across species, and on long-standing hypotheses about the evolution of somatic mutation rates and their role in cancer and ageing. Here we performed whole-genome sequencing of 208 intestinal crypts from 56 individuals to study the landscape of somatic mutation across 16 mammalian species. We found that somatic mutagenesis was dominated by seemingly endogenous mutational processes in all species, including 5-methylcytosine deamination and oxidative damage. With some differences, mutational signatures in other species resembled those described in humans8, although the relative contribution of each signature varied across species. Notably, the somatic mutation rate per year varied greatly across species and exhibited a strong inverse relationship with species lifespan, with no other life-history trait studied showing a comparable association. Despite widely different life histories among the species we examined—including variation of around 30-fold in lifespan and around 40,000-fold in body mass—the somatic mutation burden at the end of lifespan varied only by a factor of around 3. These data unveil common mutational processes across mammals, and suggest that somatic mutation rates are evolutionarily constrained and may be a contributing factor in ageing.

The rates and patterns of somatic mutation in normal tissues are largely unknown outside of humans. Comparative analyses can shed light on the diversity of mutagenesis across species and on long-standing hypotheses regarding the evolution of somatic mutation rates and their role in cancer and ageing. Here, we used whole-genome sequencing of 208 intestinal crypts from 56 individuals to study the landscape of somatic mutation across 16 mammalian species. We found somatic mutagenesis to be dominated by seemingly endogenous mutational processes in all species, including 5-methylcytosine deamination and oxidative damage. With some differences, mutational signatures in other species resembled those described in humans, although the relative contribution of each signature varied across species. Remarkably, the somatic mutation rate per year varied greatly across species and exhibited a strong inverse relationship with species lifespan, with no other life-history trait studied displaying a comparable association. Despite widely different life histories among the species surveyed, including ~30-fold variation in lifespan and ~40,000-fold variation in body mass, the somatic mutation burden at the end of lifespan varied only by a factor of ~3. These data unveil common mutational processes across mammals and suggest that somatic mutation rates are evolutionarily constrained and may be a determinant of lifespan.

The canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) is a cancer lineage that arose several millennia ago and survives by “metastasizing” between hosts through cell transfer. The somatic mutations in this cancer record its phylogeography and evolutionary history. We constructed a time-resolved phylogeny from 546 CTVT exomes and describe the lineage’s worldwide expansion. Examining variation in mutational exposure, we identify a highly context-specific mutational process that operated early in the cancer’s evolution but subsequently vanished, correlate ultraviolet-light mutagenesis with tumor latitude, and describe tumors with heritable hyperactivity of an endogenous mutational process. CTVT displays little evidence of ongoing positive selection, and negative selection is detectable only in essential genes. We illustrate how long-lived clonal organisms capture changing mutagenic environments, and reveal that neutral genetic drift is the dominant feature of long-term cancer evolution.

Devil facial tumour 1 (DFT1) is a transmissible cancer clone endangering the Tasmanian devil. The expansion of DFT1 across Tasmania has been documented, but little is known of its evolutionary history. We analysed genomes of 648 DFT1 tumours collected throughout the disease range between 2003 and 2018. DFT1 diverged early into five clades, three spreading widely and two failing to persist. One clade has replaced others at several sites, and rates of DFT1 coinfection are high. DFT1 gradually accumulates copy number variants (CNVs), and its telomere lengths are short but constant. Recurrent CNVs reveal genes under positive selection, sites of genome instability, and repeated loss of a small derived chromosome. Cultured DFT1 cell lines have increased CNV frequency and undergo highly reproducible convergent evolution. Overall, DFT1 is a remarkably stable lineage whose genome illustrates how cancer cells adapt to diverse environments and persist in a parasitic niche.