Biology subjects

Huang, M.-F.

Publications and source records attributed to Huang, M.-F..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

Donor-specific assemblies enhance somatic structural variant detection in complex genomic regions

Structural variants (SVs) contribute substantially to genomic variation and disease, but detecting somatic SVs (sSVs) remains difficult due to reference bias, mosaicism, and enrichment in repetitive regions. Linear reference genomes, like GRCh38 and CHM13, do not fully capture individual genomic structure, which can obscure true somatic variation. Donor-specific assemblies (DSAs) generated from the same genome where sSVs are being assayed provide a personalized alternative, yet their performance for sSV detection has not been systematically assessed. As part of the Somatic Mosaicism across Human Tissues (SMaHT) Network, we benchmark a DSA for sSV discovery in the COLO829 melanoma cell line with a matched normal sample from the same individual. We compare sSV detection across GRCh38, CHM13, and the COLO829BL_DSA using three different sSV callers (Delly, Severus, and Sniffles2) and sequence data from multiple long-read platforms. The COLO829BL_DSA identifies 1.8-fold more manually validated sSVs than linear references, in regions both shared with GRCh38 and CHM13 and unique to the COLO829BL_DSA. Variants detected only with the COLO829BL_DSA are often found in satellite and other repeat-rich regions that are difficult to resolve using standard references. In addition, several COLO829BL_DSA-specific sSVs are located in genes, some of which are associated with cancer. Overall, these results underscore the utility of DSAs in improving sSV detection.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2025

An Atlas of Extrachromosomal DNA Structures Illuminates Its Evolution and Biogenesis in Cancer

Extrachromosomal circular DNA (ecDNA) is a prevalent driver of oncogene amplification across diverse types of cancers. Leveraging single-molecule long-read sequencing and a de novo circular genome assembler, ecLego3, we charted a comprehensive atlas of ecDNA structures from longitudinal pairs of primary and recurrent glioblastoma (GBM). Our approach resolved 23 ecDNA genomes representing major oncogenes associated with GBM pathogenesis and revealed a dynamic configuration characterized by pronounced structural variation and multi-species co-existence within individual tumors. Evolutionary trajectories were shaped by hierarchical accrual of structural variants, predominated by deletions and inversions, giving rise to novel oncogene isoforms and enhancer repositioning. Such structural plasticity promotes intratumor heterogeneity and tumor fitness. Multiomic analyses at single cell resolution linked ecDNA abundance and structure to transcriptional output, uncovering non-linear scaling and synergistic co-selection among multiple ecDNA species. Comparative profiling revealed locus-dependent configuration, a contraction of ecDNA diversity upon recurrence, and convergent structural architectures across patients, implicating repeat-mediated genomic rearrangements and replication stress in ecDNA biogenesis. These findings elucidate ecDNA-driven mechanisms of tumor adaptation and highlight new molecular vulnerabilities, informing potential biomarkers and therapeutic strategies for high-grade gliomas.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2025

A telomere-to-telomere map of somatic mutation burden and functional impact in cancer

Oncogenesis involves widespread genetic and epigenetic alterations, yet the full spectrum of somatic variation genome-wide remains unresolved. We generated a near-telomere-to-telomere (T2T) diploid assembly of a donor paired with deep short- and long-read sequencing of their melanoma. This revealed that 16% of somatic variants occur in sequences absent from GRCh38, with satellite repeats acting as hotspots for UV-induced damage due to sequence-intrinsic mutability and inefficient repair. Centromere kinetochore domains emerged as focal sites of structural, genetic, and epigenetic variation, leading to remodeling of centromere kinetochore binding domains during tumor evolution. Single-molecule telomere reconstructions uncovered cycles of attrition, deletion, and telomerase-mediated extension that shape cancer telomeres. Finally, diploid chromatin maps exposed that copy number alterations and epimutations, rather than point mutations, predominate in rewiring cancer regulatory programs. These findings define the full landscape of a cancers somatic variation and their functional impact, establishing a blueprint for T2T studies of mosaicism.

genomics↗

bioRxiv2025

Generation of Region-specific Airway Basal Stem Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells via Regulation of BMP-NOGGIN Axis

Basal cells (BCs) are the primary stem cell population of adult human airways and a key target for hPSC-based models of airway development, disease and regenerative medicine. Recent studies have revealed substantial regional differences between human proximal and distal airway cell types, including BCs. Here, we show that the NOGGIN-BMP signaling axis governs proximal-distal patterning of hPSC-derived lung progenitors leading to the generation of region-specific induced BCs (iBCs). Continuous BMP inhibition through NOGGIN, coupled with tapered WNT activation, generates proximal iBCs that molecularly and functionally resemble human proximal airway BCs and differentiate in vitro and in vivo into the full repertoire of specialized proximal airway cell types, including ionocytes and pulmonary neuroendocrine cells. In sharp contrast, BMP activation with tapered WNT generates distal airway-like cells and distal BCs with limited ionocyte differentiation potential. Progeny of proximal iBCs derived from G551D CFTR mutant hiPSCs also recapitulate a cystic fibrosis-associated ionocyte phenotype.

cell biology↗

bioRxiv2024

Extrachromosomal DNA Associates with Nuclear Condensates and Reorganizes Chromatin Structures to Enhance Oncogenic Transcription

Extrachromosomal, circular DNA (ecDNA) is a prevalent oncogenic alteration in cancer genomes, often associated with aggressive tumor behavior and poor patient outcome. While previous studies proposed a chromatin-based mobile enhancer model for ecDNA-driven oncogenesis, its precise mechanism and impact remains unclear across diverse cancer types. Our study, utilizing advanced multi-omics profiling, epigenetic editing, and imaging approaches in three cancer models, reveals that ecDNA hubs are an integrated part of nuclear condensates and exhibit cancer-type specific chromatin connectivity. Epigenetic silencing of the ecDNA-specific regulatory modules or chemically disrupting liquid-liquid phase separation breaks down ecDNA hubs, displaces MED1 co-activator binding, inhibits oncogenic transcription, and promotes cell death. These findings substantiate the trans-activator function of ecDNA and underscore a structural mechanism driving oncogenesis. This refined understanding expands our views of oncogene regulation and opens potential avenues for novel therapeutic strategies in cancer treatment.

genomics↗