Mutational heterogeneity and the search for non-coding driver mutations in cancer
Sequencing of whole tumor genomes holds the promise of revealing recurrent mutations in non-coding DNA, as described in the TERT promoter. However, proper interpretation of such patterns requires an understanding of how mutations arise and distribute across the genome in the absence of selective pressures. In this seminar I will discuss heterogenous patterns of UV-induced somatic mutations in skin cancers, where recurrent promoter mutations are common but where these appear to be explainable to a large extent by highly localized elevations in mutation rate.