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SynFlow: an interactive online genome structural variant viewer.

MOTIVATION: Structural variations (SVs), including inversions, translocations (TRAs), duplications, and large insertions or deletions, are key drivers of genome evolution and phenotypic diversity. With the increasing number of high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assemblies, the ability to detect and interpret SVs has become a crucial aspect of modern genomics. While SV detection has advanced, most visualization methods produce static plots that fall short when researchers, particularly in comparative genomics, need to interactively explore large datasets, zoom into specific genomic regions, or dynamically filter structural events in real time. RESULTS: To address this gap, we introduce SynFlow, a lightweight, web-based interactive application specifically designed for exploring and visualizing SVs identified by SyRI. We demonstrate that SynFlow can reproduce complex static synteny plots published in literature, but transforms them into dynamic, shareable visualizations that support real-time filtering, reordering, and deep exploration of specific SVs, including TRAs. SynFlow is available as a web server and offers multiple entry points: browsing precomputed datasets (e.g. banana and grapevine genomes), uploading user-provided SyRI outputs, or running an integrated workflow to produce and visualize SVs on the fly. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: https://synflow.southgreen.fr; source code https://github.com/SouthGreenPlatform/synflow; preprocessing Snakemake workflow https://gitlab.cirad.fr/agap/cluster/snakemake/synflow.

Software↗

Strategies to assess structural variation in the chicken genome and its associations with biodiversity and biological performance.

A primary goal in the assessment of structural variation in the avian genome is to understand the relationship of this variation with biodiversity and with biological performance. To develop such knowledge, certain essential tools are needed. One set of tools includes the laboratory techniques used to assess molecular genetic variation. The current time is a transitional one for this field, in that the recently sequenced chicken genome will add significantly to the portfolio of existing methods used to identify molecular markers. To most efficiently discover marker-trait associations, the experimental mapping populations must be appropriately designed and the relevant statistical analyses applied. This paper reviews methods for assessment of molecular markers in poultry and their use in the characterization of avian biodiversity and in studies to identify marker associations with biological traits, including important considerations of population structure and statistical analysis.

Animals↗

Analysis of deep-resequencing data of 984 soybean accessions reveals structural variations underlying agronomic traits.

Genomic structural variants (SVs) are major sources of genetic variation and have profound impacts on phenotypic traits. However, their functional effects remain largely unexplored in soybean. Here, we resequence 940 soybean accessions. Together with 44 publicly available datasets, we identify 602,281 SVs. Using a graph-based genome, we detect an additional 58,760 presence/absence variations (PAVs) that broadly affect gene expression. Population genomic analyses reveal that SVs serve as a core driving force for soybean domestication and improvement. Integrating SVs with QTLs for oil and protein content, and performing GWAS on 27 traits, we identify key functional SVs. These include transposable element insertions altering seed coat color, multiple insertions within a cytochrome P450 gene modifying flower and hypocotyl color, and a GmMATE1 deletion enhancing seed size. Together, our study establishes a comprehensive SV map of soybean, offering a valuable resource for dissecting the genetic basis of complex traits to accelerate molecular breeding.

Glycine max↗

A human pancreatic islet inwardly rectifying potassium channel: cDNA cloning, determination of the genomic structure and genetic variations in Japanese NIDDM patients.

Ligand gated potassium channels, such as the ATP-regulated potassium channel, play crucial roles in coupling of stimuli to insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells. Mutations in the genes might lead to the insulin secretory defects observed in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). We isolated a cDNA encoding a putative subunit of a ligand gated potassium channel from a human islet cDNA library. The channel, which we designated hiGIRK2, appeared to be an alternative spliced variant and a human homologue of recently reported mbGIRK2, KATP-2/BIR1. Transcripts were detected in human brain and pancreas, but not in other tissues including cardiac muscle. The sizes of transcripts in the pancreas differed from those in the brain, suggesting tissue-specific alternative splicing and possible isoforms. We then isolated human genomic clones, determined the complete genomic structure and localized the gene to chromosome 21 (21q22). The gene was comprised of four exons and the protein was encoded by three exons. The entire coding region of the hiGIRK2 gene was scanned by polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism analysis in 80 Japanese NIDDM patients. We found five nucleotide substitutions; three were silent mutations of the third base of codons, one in the first intron, 9 bases upstream of exon 2, and one in the 3'-untranslated region. We conclude that mutations in the gene encoding hiGIRK2, a (subunit of) ligand gated potassium channel, is not a major determinant of the susceptibility to NIDDM in Japanese.

Alternative Splicing↗

Remarkable variation in maize genome structure inferred from haplotype diversity at the bz locus.

Maize is probably the most diverse of all crop species. Unexpectedly large differences among haplotypes were first revealed in a comparison of the bz genomic regions of two different inbred lines, McC and B73. Retrotransposon clusters, which comprise most of the repetitive DNA in maize, varied markedly in makeup, and location relative to the genes in the region and genic sequences, later shown to be carried by two helitron transposons, also differed between the inbreds. Thus, the allelic bz regions of these Corn Belt inbreds shared only a minority of the total sequence. To investigate further the variation caused by retrotransposons, helitrons, and other insertions, we have analyzed the organization of the bz genomic region in five additional cultivars selected because of their geographic and genetic diversity: the inbreds A188, CML258, and I137TN, and the land races Coroico and NalTel. This vertical comparison has revealed the existence of several new helitrons, new retrotransposons, members of every superfamily of DNA transposons, numerous miniature elements, and novel insertions flanked at either end by TA repeats, which we call TAFTs (TA-flanked transposons). The extent of variation in the region is remarkable. In pairwise comparisons of eight bz haplotypes, the percentage of shared sequences ranges from 25% to 84%. Chimeric haplotypes were identified that combine retrotransposon clusters found in different haplotypes. We propose that recombination in the common gene space greatly amplifies the variability produced by the retrotransposition explosion in the maize ancestry, creating the heterogeneity in genome organization found in modern maize.

Base Sequence↗

Conservation and variation in Orthopoxvirus genome structure.

Orthopoxvirus DNA from representative strains of rabbitpox, vaccinia, monkeypox, variola, cowpox and ectromelia viruses was analysed by cleavage with restriction endonucleases HindIII, XhoI or SmaI. Genome mol. wt. vary from about 120 x 10(6) for rabbitpox to about 145 x 10(6) for cowpox. Physical maps of cleavage sites are similar and characteristic for strains of the same Orthopoxvirus type. The distribution of HindIII sites suggests that an internal region of mol. wt. about 30 x 10(6) is highly conserved between Orthopoxvirus genomes although some type-specific differences occur within this region, especially with strains of ectromelia virus. Conservation of internal sequences is less marked following analysis with XhoI although cleavages within this central region of particular genomes appear to represent a subset of preferred sites. Endonuclease SmaI cleaves exceptionally infrequently and distinguishes variola, monkeypox, vaccinia, cowpox or ectromelia viruses. Type specific differences result largely from extensive, near terminal variations in length and sequence. Representative Orthopoxvirus genomes have rapidly renaturing terminal restriction fragments confirming the presence of near terminal, covalent cross-links. Terminal restriction fragments from the same or different genomes generally cross hybridize indicating the presence of near terminal repetitions of mol. wt. up to 6 x 10(6) and which share at least a subset of common sequences. Variola strains however, appear to lack such sequences from one specific terminus which maps shorter than that of related viruses.

Base Sequence↗

Structural variation in the human genome.

The first wave of information from the analysis of the human genome revealed SNPs to be the main source of genetic and phenotypic human variation. However, the advent of genome-scanning technologies has now uncovered an unexpectedly large extent of what we term 'structural variation' in the human genome. This comprises microscopic and, more commonly, submicroscopic variants, which include deletions, duplications and large-scale copy-number variants - collectively termed copy-number variants or copy-number polymorphisms - as well as insertions, inversions and translocations. Rapidly accumulating evidence indicates that structural variants can comprise millions of nucleotides of heterogeneity within every genome, and are likely to make an important contribution to human diversity and disease susceptibility.

Genetic Variation↗

Chromosome-Scale Genome of Zoonotic Eyeworm Thelazia callipaeda from China.

Thelazia callipaeda is a vector-borne zoonotic eyeworm infecting companion animals, wildlife, and humans, but chromosome-scale genomic resources from Chinese clinical material remain limited. We generated a genome supported by Pacific Biosciences (PacBio) high-fidelity (HiFi) sequencing and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) from 100 adult worms recovered from naturally infected dogs in Beijing and compared its chromosome-scale organization with Portuguese assembly GCA_965194785.1. The final assembly spans 119.53 megabases (Mb) and comprises 115 top-level sequences, including four pseudomolecules totaling 91.26 Mb (76.34%) and 111 unanchored sequences. Genome-mode Benchmarking Universal Single-Copy Orthologs (BUSCO) analysis recovered 98.5% complete chromadorean orthologues, and the representative 11,788-protein gene set recovered 92.6%. Sequence-level alignment resolved Chinese chromosomes 1-4 (chr1-chr4) to Portuguese chr1, chrX, chr3, and chr2, respectively, with retained alignments covering 95.9-99.2% of each Chinese pseudomolecule and estimated sequence identities of 99.75-99.91%. Strong chromosome-scale collinearity was accompanied by localized reverse-collinear regions, including 0.243 Mb and 0.115 Mb intervals on chr2-chrX and chr3-chr3. The anchored sequences contained 96.7% of predicted genes and were substantially more gene-dense than the unanchored sequences. These results establish a clinically sourced Chinese chromosome-scale reference and provide a validated framework for future individual-worm, population-genomic, structural-variation, and comparative genomic studies of this parasite.

Hi-C↗

SVbyEye: a visual tool to characterize structural variation among whole-genome assemblies.

MOTIVATION: We are now in the era of being able to routinely generate highly contiguous (near telomere-to-telomere) genome assemblies of human and nonhuman species. Complex structural variation and regions of rapid evolutionary turnover are being discovered for the first time. Thus, efficient and informative visualization tools are needed to evaluate and directly observe structural differences between two or more genomes. RESULTS: We developed SVbyEye, an open-source R package to visualize and annotate sequence-to-sequence alignments along with various functionalities to process these alignments. The tool facilitates the characterization of complex structural variants in the context of sequence homology helping resolve the mechanisms underlying their formation. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: SVbyEye is available on GitHub (https://github.com/daewoooo/SVbyEye) and via Zenodo (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15303553).

Software↗

Severus detects somatic structural variation and complex rearrangements in cancer genomes using long-read sequencing.

For the detection of somatic structural variation (SV) in cancer genomes, long-read sequencing is advantageous over short-read sequencing with respect to mappability and variant phasing. However, most current long-read SV detection methods are not developed for the analysis of tumor genomes characterized by complex rearrangements and heterogeneity. Here, we present Severus, a breakpoint graph-based algorithm for somatic SV calling from long-read cancer sequencing. Severus works with matching normal samples, supports unbalanced cancer karyotypes, can characterize complex multibreak SV patterns and produces haplotype-specific calls. On a comprehensive multitechnology cell line panel, Severus consistently outperforms other long-read and short-read methods in terms of SV detection F1 score (harmonic mean of the precision and recall). We also illustrate that compared to long-read methods, short-read sequencing systematically misses certain classes of somatic SVs, such as insertions or clustered rearrangements. We apply Severus to several clinical cases of pediatric leukemia/lymphoma, revealing clinically relevant cryptic rearrangements missed by standard genomic panels.

Humans↗

CHITRA: an interactive visualization tool for comparative genomic rearrangement analysis.

MOTIVATION: The increasing availability of chromosome-scale genome assemblies has fuelled a renewed interest in studying chromosomal evolution and rearrangements. Synteny visualization plays a critical role in understanding genome organization, structural variations, and evolutionary relationships. However, existing tools often have steep learning curves, produce static plots, or are limited in their ability to analyse multiple genomes simultaneously. There is a growing need for an intuitive and interactive visualization tool that can effectively explore syntenic relationships and chromosomal rearrangements. RESULTS: Here, we present CHITRA, a web-based interactive tool designed to visualize synteny blocks, chromosomal rearrangements, and breakpoints in both linear and circular styles. CHITRA-enables real-time exploration of genome structural variations with an intuitive graphical interface, customizable visualization options, and high-resolution export capabilities for publication-ready figures. The tool supports chromosome- and scaffold-level assemblies and allows users to filter, highlight, and interactively examine syntenic relationships. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: CHITRA is freely available at https://chitra.bioinformaticsonline.com/, with comprehensive documentation at https://chitra.bioinformaticsonline.com/docs. The source code is open-source and accessible on GitHub at https://github.com/pranjalpruthi/CHITRA.

Journal Article↗

A genome-wide survey of structural variation between human and chimpanzee.

Structural changes (deletions, insertions, and inversions) between human and chimpanzee genomes have likely had a significant impact on lineage-specific evolution because of their potential for dramatic and irreversible mutation. The low-quality nature of the current chimpanzee genome assembly precludes the reliable identification of many of these differences. To circumvent this, we applied a method to optimally map chimpanzee fosmid paired-end sequences against the human genome to systematically identify sites of structural variation > or = 12 kb between the two species. Our analysis yielded a total of 651 putative sites of chimpanzee deletion (n = 293), insertions (n = 184), and rearrangements consistent with local inversions between the two genomes (n = 174). We validated a subset (19/23) of insertion and deletions using PCR and Southern blot assays, confirming the accuracy of our method. The events are distributed throughout the genome on all chromosomes but are highly correlated with sites of segmental duplication in human and chimpanzee. These structural variants encompass at least 24 Mb of DNA and overlap with > 245 genes. Seventeen of these genes contain exons missing in the chimpanzee genomic sequence and also show a significant reduction in gene expression in chimpanzee. Compared with the pioneering work of Yunis, Prakash, Dutrillaux, and Lejeune, this analysis expands the number of potential rearrangements between chimpanzees and humans 50-fold. Furthermore, this work prioritizes regions for further finishing in the chimpanzee genome and provides a resource for interrogating functional differences between humans and chimpanzees.

Animals↗

Unveiling the Genetic Landscape of Coronary Artery Disease Through Common and Rare Structural Variants.

BACKGROUND: Genome-wide association studies have identified several hundred susceptibility single nucleotide variants for coronary artery disease (CAD). Despite single nucleotide variant-based genome-wide association studies improving our understanding of the genetics of CAD, the contribution of structural variants (SVs) to the risk of CAD remains largely unclear. METHOD AND RESULTS: We leveraged SVs detected from high-coverage whole genome sequencing data in a diverse group of participants from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute's Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine program. Single variant tests were performed on 58 706 SVs in a study sample of 11 556 CAD cases and 42 907 controls. Additionally, aggregate tests using sliding windows were performed to examine rare SVs. One genome-wide significant association was identified for a common biallelic intergenic duplication on chromosome 6q21 (P=1.54E-09, odds ratio=1.34). The sliding window-based aggregate tests found 1 region on chromosome 17q25.3, overlapping USP36, to be significantly associated with coronary artery disease (P=1.03E-10). USP36 is highly expressed in arterial and adipose tissues while broadly affecting several cardiometabolic traits. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that SVs, both common and rare, may influence the risk of coronary artery disease.

Humans↗

Fine-scale structural variation of the human genome.

Inversions, deletions and insertions are important mediators of disease and disease susceptibility. We systematically compared the human genome reference sequence with a second genome (represented by fosmid paired-end sequences) to detect intermediate-sized structural variants >8 kb in length. We identified 297 sites of structural variation: 139 insertions, 102 deletions and 56 inversion breakpoints. Using combined literature, sequence and experimental analyses, we validated 112 of the structural variants, including several that are of biomedical relevance. These data provide a fine-scale structural variation map of the human genome and the requisite sequence precision for subsequent genetic studies of human disease.

Base Pairing↗

Pan-genome-based resequencing of 2,320 accessions reveals structural variations and accelerates breeding advances in cultivated peanut.

The cultivated peanut is a crucial global legume crop that is essential for food security and nutrition, particularly in developing regions. However, its limited genetic variation hampers breeding progress and yield improvement. Here we constructed a graph-based pan-genome for peanut, incorporating 14 genomes that represent all 6 peanut varieties. Using this pan-genome, we genotyped 2,320 accessions, covering 88.03% of ICRISAT and 59.21% of USDA core germplasm, enriching valuable resources for genomic studies and breeding. We cataloged genomic structural variations and investigated the role of homoeologous exchanges in population divergence. Through our pan-genome approach, we overcame the challenges of genotyping posed by homoeologous exchanges and identified key genes associated with flowering and dwarfism in peanut. By integrating superior haplotypes and germplasm resources guided by the pan-genome, we further developed high-yield dwarf lines. This work provides essential genomic resources to accelerate functional gene discovery and modern peanut breeding.

Journal Article↗

Chromosome-scale genome remodeling in tumor evolution: Copy number alterations and structural variants as two sides of the same coin.

Chromosome-scale genomic rearrangements are a dominant force in tumor evolution. Copy-number alterations (CNAs) and structural variants (SVs) constitute two complementary axes of this process. Although detection technologies now deliver near-comprehensive catalogs, technical resolution has outpaced conceptual integration. In this review, we frame CNAs and SVs as inextricable facets of chromosomal aberrations. They reshape cancer genomes through altered gene dosage and three-dimensional regulatory rewiring. CNAs quantify the gene-dosage imbalance, yet arise through mechanistically distinct routes. Segmental CNAs typically require chromosomal breakage, and therefore often coincide with SV junctions. By contrast, whole-chromosome aneuploidy and whole-genome doubling (WGD) primarily reflect mitotic or cytokinetic failure and can occur without local breakpoints, while nevertheless reshaping the karyotypic landscape and seeding subsequent structural complexity. SVs, in turn, range from unbalanced events that alter copy number to ostensibly balanced exchanges that predominantly rewire regulatory architecture. Despite their diverse and sometimes catastrophic architectures, SVs are ultimately rooted in double-strand break formation and error-prone resolution. By integrating CNAs and SVs within a unified mechanistic and functional framework, we aim to convert catalogs into concepts and distill the organizing principles that govern tumor genome evolution.

Humans↗

Comparative genomics reveals lineage-associated structural variation and diversification in a barley fungal pathogen.

Leaf rust, caused by Puccinia hordei, is a major barley disease worldwide. Despite repeated shifts in virulence, contrasting reproductive histories, and emerging fungicide insensitivity, the genomic basis of its diversification and adaptation remains poorly understood. In this study, we generated haplotype-resolved, chromosome-level genome assemblies for two isolates with contrasting virulence and analyzed 41 Australian isolates collected over 54 yr (1966-2020), integrating comparative and population genomics, mating-type gene phylogenies, chromosome-specific k-mer profiling, genome-wide copy-number variation (CNV) analysis, and gene-expression analysis. We identified a structurally dynamic chromosome characterized by repeat-associated rearrangements, structural variation, and lineage-associated CNV, representing the first evidence in a rust fungus of chromosome-scale structural diversification of this extent. Population analyses distinguished clonally expanded lineages from recombination-associated lineages, with mating-type gene phylogenies providing further support for lineage differentiation. More recently collected isolates showed increased duplication-associated variation, and CNV boundaries were associated with structural-variant breakpoints. We also identified lineage-associated amplification of Cyp51, with increased copy number associated with higher transcript abundance, supporting a potential role in fungicide adaptation. Overall, our findings highlight structural variation, contrasting reproductive histories, and lineage-associated CNV as important contributors to diversification in P. hordei, providing insights for future rust pathogen surveillance and management strategies.

Cyp51 gene↗

insilicoSV: a flexible grammar-based framework for structural variant simulation and placement.

SUMMARY: Structural variants (SVs) are key drivers of genetic variation and disease in the genome. Their discovery remains challenging, however, in large part due to the scarcity of validated SV callsets and comprehensive benchmarks, which are essential for method development and evaluation. The growing number of data-driven learning-based approaches for SV discovery, in particular, requires large, diverse, and well-balanced training datasets to achieve reliable performance. To address this need, SV simulation has served as a key tool for assessing method performance and training SV models. However, existing SV simulators only support a fixed and limited set of SV classes and do not provide fine-grained control over the placement of SVs within specific contexts of the genome. Here we present insilicoSV, a versatile framework for SV simulation, which models SVs using a simple and flexible grammar, allowing users to easily define standard and custom arbitrary genome rearrangements, as well as encode genome placement constraints. This design allows insilicoSV to naturally support new and bespoke SV types, such as the complex rearrangements of cancer genomes. In addition to grammar-based modeling, insilicoSV provides built-in support for 26 predefined SV types, placement of user-provided SVs, small variant simulation, streamlined workflows for the simulation of genome evolution and genome mixtures, read simulation, alignment, and visualization. These features enable the creation of comprehensive genomic datasets for a variety of downstream applications, such as in-depth benchmarking of alignment and variant calling methods, as well as training of data-driven learning-based approaches for SV detection. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: insilicoSV is available under the MIT license at https://github.com/PopicLab/insilicoSV and https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17402009.

Software↗