BackgroundNuclear protein in testis (NUT) midline carcinoma (NMC) is a rare aggressive malignancy often occurring in the tissues of midline anatomical structures. Except for the pathognomonic BRD3/4–NUT rearrangement, the comprehensive landscape of genomic alterations in NMCs has been unexplored.Patients and methodsWe investigated three NMC cases, including two newly diagnosed NMC patients in Seoul National University Hospital, and a previously reported cell line (Ty-82). Whole-genome and transcriptome sequencing were carried out for these cases, and findings were validated by multiplex fluorescence in situ hybridization and using individual fluorescence probes.ResultsHere, we present the first integrative analysis of whole-genome sequencing, transcriptome sequencing and cytogenetic characterization of NUT midline carcinomas. By whole-genome sequencing, we identified a remarkably similar pattern of highly complex genomic rearrangements (previously denominated as chromoplexy) involving the BRD3/4–NUT oncogenic rearrangements in two newly diagnosed NMC cases. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that these complex rearrangements were transcribed as very simple BRD3/4–NUT fusion transcripts. In Ty-82 cells, we also identified a complex genomic rearrangement involving the BRD4–NUT rearrangement underlying the simple t(15;19) karyotype. Careful inspections of rearrangement breakpoints indicated that these rearrangements were likely attributable to single catastrophic events. Although the NMC genomes had >3000 somatic point mutations, canonical oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes were rarely affected, indicating that they were largely passenger events. Mutational signature analysis showed predominant molecular clock-like signatures in all three cases (accounting for 54%−75% of all base substitutions), suggesting that NMCs may arise from actively proliferating normal cells.ConclusionTaken together, our findings suggest that a single catastrophic event in proliferating normal cells could be sufficient for neoplastic transformation into NMCs.

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Effects of ascorbic acid addition on the contents of retinyl palmitate isomers in skim milk treated with or without 3 mg/ mL added riboflavin were studied during storage for 30 h under fluorescent light. Light illumination induced the reduction of all-trans-retinyl palmitate and 13-cis isomer, but promoted the production of 9-cis isomer in the skim milk. Riboflavin increased the reduction of all-trans-retinyl palmitate, but decreased the formation of 9-cis isomer in lightstored skim milk. The addition of ascorbic acid greatly inhibited the light-induced reduction of all-trans-retinyl palmitate and 13-cis isomer in skim milks. Ascorbic acid also greatly increased the formation of 9-cis-retinyl palmitate in skim milks during light storage.