Single-nucleus ATAC-seq of male mouse nucleus accumbens

Description of cell-type-specific gene regulatory networks

Mapping of putative cell-type-specific gene enhancers

Distinct nucleus accumbens cell types are implicated in GWAS of neuropsychiatric disease.

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is a key brain region involved in reward processing and is linked to multiple neuropsychiatric conditions such as substance use disorder, depression, and chronic pain. Recent studies have begun to investigate NAc gene expression at a single-cell resolution, however, our understanding of the cellular heterogeneity of the NAc epigenomic landscape remains limited. In this study, we utilize single-nucleus assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (snATAC-seq) to map cell-type-specific differences in chromatin accessibility in the NAc. Our findings not only reveal the transcription factors and putative gene regulatory elements that may contribute to these cell-type-specific epigenomic differences but also provide a valuable resource for future studies investigating epigenomic changes that occur in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Gene regulation

Enhancers

Epigenomics

Nucleus accumbens

Processed and raw data files along with metadata containing cell type annotations can be found on GEO (GSE232774).

Code for analyzing the raw data and generating the figures and supplementary tables can be found here: https://github.com/Renthal-Lab/nucleus_accumbens_atac.

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