Discovery and prioritization of somatic mutations in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) by whole-exome sequencing.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

To gain insight into the genomic basis of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), we performed massively parallel whole-exome sequencing of 55 primary tumor samples from patients with DLBCL and matched normal tissue. We identified recurrent mutations in genes that are well known to be functionally relevant in DLBCL, including MYD88, CARD11, EZH2, and CREBBP. We also identified somatic mutations in genes for which a functional role in DLBCL has not been previously suspected. These genes include MEF2B, MLL2, BTG1, GNA13, ACTB, P2RY8, PCLO, and TNFRSF14. Further, we show that BCL2 mutations commonly occur in patients with BCL2/IgH rearrangements as a result of somatic hypermutation normally occurring at the IgH locus. The BCL2 point mutations are primarily synonymous, and likely caused by activation-induced cytidine deaminase-mediated somatic hypermutation, as shown by comprehensive analysis of enrichment of mutations in WRCY target motifs. Those nonsynonymous mutations that are observed tend to be found outside of the functionally important BH domains of the protein, suggesting that strong negative selection against BCL2 loss-of-function mutations is at play. Last, by using an algorithm designed to identify likely functionally relevant but infrequent mutations, we identify KRAS, BRAF, and NOTCH1 as likely drivers of DLBCL pathogenesis in some patients. Our data provide an unbiased view of the landscape of mutations in DLBCL, and this in turn may point toward new therapeutic strategies for the disease.

Year of Publication
2012
Journal
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Volume
109
Issue
10
Pages
3879-84
Date Published
2012 Mar 06
ISSN
1091-6490
URL
DOI
10.1073/pnas.1121343109
PubMed ID
22343534
PubMed Central ID
PMC3309757
Links
Grant list
U54 HG003067 / HG / NHGRI NIH HHS / United States
P01 CA092625 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
T32 CA009172 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
Howard Hughes Medical Institute / United States
P50 CA097274 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
5P01 CA092625-07 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
P50 CA97274 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States