A single-cell multi-omic atlas spanning the adult rhesus macaque brain

• DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh1914
• Publication Date: 2023-10-12T17:57:22Z
• Authors: Kenneth L. Chiou; Xingfan Huang; Martin O. Bohlen; Sébastien Tremblay; Alex R. DeCasien; Diana R. O’Day; Cailyn H. Spurrell; Aishwarya A. Gogate; Trisha M. Zintel; ; Madeline G. Andrews; Melween I. Martínez; Lea M. Starita; Michael J. Montague; Michael L. Platt; Jay Shendure; Noah Snyder-Mackler
• Keywords: Animals; Brain; Multiomics; Transcriptome; Macaca mulatta; Neuroscience

Cataloging the diverse cellular architecture of the primate brain is crucial for understanding cognition, behavior, and disease in humans. Here, we generated a brain-wide single-cell multimodal molecular atlas of the rhesus macaque brain. Together, we profiled 2.58 M transcriptomes and 1.59 M epigenomes from single nuclei sampled from 30 regions across the adult brain. Cell composition differed extensively across the brain, revealing cellular signatures of region-specific functions. We also identified 1.19 M candidate regulatory elements, many previously unidentified, allowing us to explore the landscape of cis-regulatory grammar and neurological disease risk in a cell type–specific manner. Altogether, this multi-omic atlas provides an open resource for investigating the evolution of the human brain and identifying novel targets for disease interventions.