Epigenomic profiling of mouse nucleus accumbens at single-cell resolution

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 chro-matin 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.

Automated summary

In this study, the researchers used snATAC-seq to map cell-type-specific differences in chromatin accessibility in the NAc. They identified transcription factors and putative gene regulatory regions that might contribute to these differences and provided a valuable resource for future studies on epigenomic changes in neuropsychiatric disorders.