Copy number variation in the genomes of Caenorhabditis elegans end-to-end fusion strains

End-to-end chromosome fusions that occur in the context of telomerase deficiency can trigger genomic duplications. These duplications are suggested to arise via Breakage-Fusion-Bridge cycles. To test this hypothesis, we examined end-to-end fusions isolated from C. elegans telomere replication mutants. Genome level rearrangements revealed fused chromosome ends possessing interrupted terminal duplications accompanied by template switching events. These features are very similar to disease-associated duplications of interstitial segments of the human genome. A model termed Fork Stalling and Template Switching has been proposed previously to explain such duplications, where promiscuous replication of large, non-contiguous segments of the genome occurs. Thus, a DNA synthesis-based process can create duplications that seal end-to-end fusions, in the absence of Breakage-Fusion-Bridge cycles. Numerous C. elegans mutant samples were studied with comparative genomic hybridization. There were no replicates or dye-swap hybridizations.