Onco-Proteogenomic Exploration of Variant Peptide Detection in Disease Models and Clinical Specimens
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Onco-proteogenomic exploration of variant peptide detection in disease models and clinical specimens by Lampros Dimitrakopoulos A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology University of Toronto © Copyright by Lampros Dimitrakopoulos 2017 Onco-proteogenomic exploration of variant peptide detection in disease models and clinical specimens Lampros Dimitrakopoulos Doctor of Philosophy Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology University of Toronto 2017 Abstract This thesis describes the efforts of integrating nucleotide sequencing results with mass spectrometry-based proteomic results to identify variants predicted from sequencing and being expressed at the proteome level within a proteogenomic framework. Specifically, the study was carried out in three levels. The first was a proof of concept study to demonstrate the feasibility of variant peptide detection in clinical specimens and reveal intrinsic strengths and weaknesses of the onco-proteogenomic pipeline. Subsequently, sequencing-predicted variants were tracked at the proteome level in cancer cell lines and breast cancer tissues. The results from both homogeneous and heterogeneous cell populations reveal the proportion of sequencing-predicted variant peptides detected at the proteome level, how different variant calling filtering criteria from sequencing raw data and alternative ways to search for variant peptides influence this number, a correlation between transcript abundance and variant peptide detection and how the translated mutant versions of the proteins may influence the observed phenotype. Overall, the results of the present dissertation provide promising evidence that the combination of the well-established sequencing technologies and the excellent capabilities of state of the art mass spectrometry instruments can effectively detect variant peptides in clinical specimens and that this approach has the potential to be optimized to harness its full potential and realize precision medicine translational applications. ii Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to my parents, Demosthenes and Paraskevi iii Acknowledgements This thesis is the product of a five-year long arduous effort and would not have been realized if it was not for the critical contribution of many individuals. First of all I would like to thank my supervisor Dr. Eleftherios P. Diamandis for his continuous guidance, support, encouragement and the excellent mentorship he provided me. He gave me the incredible opportunity to join his laboratory that has published world-leading research articles, work in this environment and improve as a scientist and as a person. I am also grateful that I had Dr. George Charames as a co-supervisor all these years. He added his expertise, while his precious advice and insightful comments have been invaluable, thus helping me overcome all difficulties encountered. I would like to extend my appreciation to the members of my advisory committee who provided important counseling and critically assisted in honing the study described in the following pages: Drs. Susan Done and George Yousef. I also desire to extend my acknowledgements to the members of my final oral examination committee, Drs. Thomas Kislinger and James Scholey, as well as the external appraiser of this thesis, Dr. Harriet Feilotter, for their valuable time and feedback. A special thank you goes to my co-author Ioannis Prassas, who as a recent alumni of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology not only was a key contributor of the studies constituting my thesis, but he also gave me vital help to navigate through all the ups and downs that inevitably accompany such a strenuous and demanding journey as a PhD. I would also like to thank all the past and present members of the lab and the lab manager Antoninus Soosaipillai. It was an honor to interact with each and every one of them and have the chance to exchange ideas and opinions spanning across a diverse spectrum of projects. I would like to specially thank Christina, Dimitris, Ilijana and Theano, with whom I spent considerable time outside the lab and had the chance to engage in stimulating discussions and extracurricular activities extremely important to destress from work. As an international student, I soon realized it is double as important to have a circle of friends in order to be able to keep up with the hectic pace of graduate life. I will always feel grateful toward the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology and the University of Toronto for accepting me as a graduate student and giving me iv the opportunity to be exposed to top-notch research that forms the basis for the scientific breakthroughs of the upcoming decades and for providing me with the ability to work myself with state-of-the-art instrumentation and in modern facilities, and thus help me grow as a scientist. I owe many thanks to all my overseas friends and especially those from back home that were always available to talk to me in times that I felt nostalgic or needed a familiar person to cheer me up. A very special shout-out to Manos. I would also like to thank every single person not mentioned here, that at any point throughout my graduate studies supported me and made me believe in myself and that I can reach the finish line successfully, no matter the hardships I encountered. The defense of a PhD thesis, being the capstone of post-secondary education, inevitably evokes memories from the past. Therefore, I would like to thank my professor and supervisor of my Master’s and undergraduate theses, Evi Lianidou and all my teachers and professors from primary school until today. Looking back, I realize how amazing it is that every single teacher has contributed in a very distinctive way in shaping my educational background and influencing various aspects of my personality as well. As the Athenian statesman Solon said, “As I grow older, I constantly learn more”. And it is astonishing to consider how many things one can learn in a lifetime… Last but not least, I could never have reached this point if it was not for my beloved parents. I will always be deeply thankful to them for the values that instilled in me, for their endless encouragement and for always believing in me. I will always appreciate all the sacrifices they have made for me and that they have been so supportive to the best possible extent. Therefore, I would like to dedicate this thesis to them. v Table of Contents Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iv Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables .................................................................................................................................. x List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... xii List of Appendices ....................................................................................................................... xiv List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... xv Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 2 1.1 Background ......................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Cancer -omics ..................................................................................................................... 3 1.2.1 Genomics ................................................................................................................ 3 1.2.2 Transcriptomics ....................................................................................................... 4 1.2.3 Proteomics ............................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Onco-proteogenomics ......................................................................................................... 6 1.3.1 Computational genomics ........................................................................................ 7 1.3.2 Computational proteomics .................................................................................... 11 1.3.3 Computational onco-proteogenomics ................................................................... 12 1.4 Onco-proteogenomics studies and applications ................................................................ 14 1.5 Potential of onco-proteogenomics .................................................................................... 19 1.6 Purpose and aim of the present study ............................................................................... 21 1.6.1 Rationale ............................................................................................................... 21 1.6.2 Hypothesis ............................................................................................................. 21 1.6.3 Objectives ............................................................................................................