High-throughput sequencing of genome-wide translocations from stimulated wild-type or ATM-deficient B cells

High-throughput genome-wide translocation sequencing (HTGTS) is a robust approach to identify genome-wide translocation junctions. We performed HTGTS to study the fate of introduced c-myc DSBs in mouse splenic B cells activated for activation cytidine deaminase (AID)-dependent class switch recombination (CSR). We found frequent translocations of c-myc DSBs to AID-initiated DSBs in IgH switch regions in wild-type (WT) and ATM-deficient B cells. However, c-myc also translocated frequently to newly generated DSBs within a 35-megabase region downstream of IgH in ATM-deficient, but not WT, CSR-activated B cells. Moreover, we found such DSBs and translocations in activated B cells that did not express AID or undergo CSR. These findings indicate that ATM deficiency leads to formation of chromosome 12 dicentrics via RAG-initiated IgH DSBs in progenitor B cells and that these dicentrics can be propagated developmentally into mature B cells where they generate new DSBs downstream of IgH via breakage-fusion-bridge cycles. Preparation of libraries from WT or ATM-deficient activated by a-CD40/IL4 or RP105.