DNA sequence information underpins genetic research, enabling discoveries of important biological or medical benefit. Sequencing projects have traditionally employed long (400–800 bp) reads, but the existence of reference sequences for the human and many other genomes makes it possible to develop new, fast approaches to re-sequencing, whereby shorter reads are compared to a reference to identify intra-species genetic variation. We report an approach that generates several billion bases of accurate nucleotide sequence per experiment at low cost. Single molecules of DNA are attached to a flat surface, amplified in situ and used as templates for synthetic sequencing with fluorescent reversible terminator deoxyribonucleotides. Images of the surface are analysed to generate high quality sequence. We demonstrate application of this approach to human genome sequencing on flow-sorted X chromosomes and then scale the approach to determine the genome sequence of a male Yoruba from Ibadan, Nigeria. We build an accurate consensus sequence from >30x average depth of paired 35-base reads. We characterise four million SNPs and four hundred thousand structural variants, many of which are previously unknown. Our approach is effective for accurate, rapid and economical whole genome re-sequencing and many other biomedical applications.

Cytosine DNA methylation is important in regulating gene expression and in silencing transposons and other repetitive sequences 1, 2 . Recent genomic studies in Arabidopsis have revealed that many endogenous genes are methylated either within their promoters or within their transcribed regions, and that gene methylation is highly correlated with transcription levels 3-5 . However, plants have different types of methylation controlled by different genetic pathways, and detailed information on the methylation status of each cytosine in any given genome is lacking. To this end, we generated a map at single base pair resolution of methylated cytosines for Arabidopsis, by combining bisulfite treatment of genomic DNA with ultra-high-throughput sequencing using the Illumina 1G Genome Analyzer and Solexa sequencing technology 6 . This approach, termed BS-Seq, unlike previous microarray-based methods, allows one to sensitively measure cytosine methylation on a genomewide scale within specific sequence contexts. We describe methylation on previously inaccessible components of the genome along with an analysis of the DNA methylation sequence composition and distribution. We also describe the effect of various DNA methylation mutants on genome-wide methylation patterns, and demonstrate that our newly developed library construction and computational methods can be applied to large genomes such as mouse.To generate a DNA methylation map at one nucleotide resolution across the genome, we adapted the Illumina 1G Genome Analyzer using Solexa sequencing technology (Illumina GA) for shotgun sequencing of bisulfite-treated Arabidopsis genomic DNA. Sodium bisulfite converts unmethylated cytosines to uracils, but 5-methylcytosines remain unconverted. Hence, Author Information. Reprints and permissions information is available at www.nature.com/reprints. The authors declare competing financial interests: details accompany the full-text HTML version of the paper at www.nature.com/nature. Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to S.E.J. (jacobsen@ucla.edu) or M.P. (matteop@mcdb.ucla.edu). 6 These authors contributed equally to this work. 7 Present address: Department of Plant Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA. Author Contributions. S.J.C. developed computational methods for mapping and basecalling. S.F. designed and created DNA libraries and performed all molecular biology experiments. S.F., Z.C., B.M., and S.F.N. sequenced libraries. M.P., S.J.C., S.F., and S.E.J. analyzed data. S.E.J. and M.P. designed and directed the study. X.Z., C.D.H., and S.P. assisted in the design of experiments. S.F. and S.J.C. wrote the manuscript. HHMI Author ManuscriptHHMI Author Manuscript HHMI Author Manuscript after polymerase chain reaction amplification, unmethylated cytosines appear as thymines and methylated cytosines appear as cytosines 7 . We created genomic DNA libraries after bisulfite conversion and produced ~3.8 billion nucleotides of high quality sequence which successfully mapped to the...

All cancers carry somatic mutations. A subset of these somatic alterations, termed driver mutations, confer selective growth advantage and are implicated in cancer development, whereas the remainder are passengers. Here we have sequenced the genomes of a malignant melanoma and a lymphoblastoid cell line from the same person, providing the first comprehensive catalogue of somatic mutations from an individual cancer. The catalogue provides remarkable insights into the forces that have shaped this cancer genome. The dominant mutational signature reflects DNA damage due to ultraviolet light exposure, a known risk factor for malignant melanoma, whereas the uneven distribution of mutations across the genome, with a lower prevalence in gene footprints, indicates that DNA repair has been preferentially deployed towards transcribed regions. The results illustrate the power of a cancer genome sequence to reveal traces of the DNA damage, repair, mutation and selection processes that were operative years before the cancer became symptomatic.

To explore the origins and consequences of tetraploidy in the African clawed frog, we sequenced the Xenopus laevis genome and compared it to the related diploid X. tropicalis genome. We demonstrate the allotetraploid origin of X. laevis by partitioning its genome into two homeologous subgenomes, marked by distinct families of “fossil” transposable elements. Based on the activity of these elements and the age of hundreds of unitary pseudogenes, we estimate that the two diploid progenitor species diverged ~34 million years ago (Mya) and combined to form an allotetraploid ~17–18 Mya. 56% of all genes are retained in two homeologous copies. Protein function, gene expression, and the amount of flanking conserved sequence all correlate with retention rates. The subgenomes have evolved asymmetrically, with one chromosome set more often preserving the ancestral state and the other experiencing more gene loss, deletion, rearrangement, and reduced gene expression.

The molecular pathogenesis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is poorly understood. Whole-genome and exome sequencing followed by innovative tumorgraft analyses (to accurately determine mutant allele ratios) identified several putative two-hit tumor suppressor genes including BAP1. BAP1, a nuclear deubiquitinase, is inactivated in 15% of clear-cell RCCs. BAP1 cofractionates with and binds to HCF-1 in tumorgrafts. Mutations disrupting the HCF-1 binding motif impair BAP1-mediated suppression of cell proliferation, but not H2AK119ub1 deubiquitination. BAP1 loss sensitizes RCC cells in vitro to genotoxic stress. Interestingly, BAP1 and PBRM1 mutations anticorrelate in tumors (P=3×10−5), and combined loss of BAP1 and PBRM1 in a few RCCs was associated with rhabdoid features (q=0.0007). BAP1 and PBRM1 regulate seemingly different gene expression programs, and BAP1 loss was associated with high tumor grade (q=0.0005). Our results establish the foundation for an integrated pathological and molecular genetic classification of RCC, paving the way for subtype-specific treatments exploiting genetic vulnerabilities.