Figure 5.

Genomic Features of Chromothripsis Suggest that Most Rearrangements Occur in a Single Catastrophic Event

(A) Example of a sequence of progressive rearrangements disrupting a model chromosome. The chromosomal configuration after each rearrangement is shown, together with the copy number and rearrangement plot that would result (in the style of Figure 2).

(B) Example of how a chromosomal catastrophe might break the chromosome into many pieces that are then stitched back together haphazardly.

(C) One thousand Monte Carlo simulations (black points) performed under the assumption that rearrangements accumulate progressively over time show the number of copy number states seen in the resultant derivative chromosome. Samples with chromothripsis, shown as red diamonds, fall well outside this spectrum.

(D) Observed distances between adjacent breakpoints for each sample are shown beside the expected distribution if breaks occurred in entirely random locations.