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Updated: Jun 7, 2026
Targeted DNA Methylation Analysis by Next-generation Sequencing
Published on: February 24, 2015
MutSeqR: an open source R package for standardized analysis of error-corrected next-generation sequencing data in
Annette E Dodge1,2, Andrew Williams1, Danielle P M LeBlanc1
1Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, ON K1A 0K9, Canada.
Motivation:
Error-corrected next-generation sequencing (ECS) methods are increasingly used to assess mutagenicity and other genetic toxicology endpoints. The lack of open and standardized bioinformatic workflows and tools poses challenges to data reproducibility, comparability, and consistency in interpretation for its application in genetic toxicity assessment.
Results:
We present MutSeqR, an open source R package to analyse ECS mutation data for genetic toxicology studies. MutSeqR offers practical variant filtering, comparative analysis of mutation frequency between experimental conditions, dose-response assessment via benchmark dose calculations, mutation spectrum analysis, and clonality analyses. We demonstrate MutSeqR's application using published datasets on mice treated with benzo[a]pyrene or benzo[b]fluoranthene, analysed using Duplex Sequencing and SMM-seq, respectively. MutSeqR's flexible functions enable reproducible analyses across ECS platforms, facilitating research and regulatory applications in mutagenicity testing.
Availability And Implementation:
MutSeqR is freely available under an open source license at https://github.com/EHSRB-BSRSE-Bioinformatics/MutSeqR. Implemented in R (version 3.4.0 or greater), it supports all major operating systems. Sequencing data for Project 1 has been deposited in the Sequence Read Archive under accession number PRJNA803048. Variant call files for Project 2 are available on Mendeley Data (doi: 10.17632/65dnysxym8.1).
