Six-million-cell atlas maps gene activity across the human prefrontal cortex

Sep 23, 4:54 PM UTC

Population-scale atlas links gene regulation to specific brain-cell types

Researchers published a population-scale atlas of gene activity in the human prefrontal cortex, combining data from more than 6.3 million cell nuclei and 1,494 postmortem donors. One analysis used 5.6 million nuclei from 1,384 donors to map genetic regulation across eight cell classes and 27 subclasses, identifying regulatory effects for 14,258 genes. A separate lifespan study profiled 1.3 million nuclei from 284 neurotypical donors. Together, the resources provide cell-specific reference data for studying development, ageing and several brain disorders. The reported associations can help prioritize mechanisms for further testing, but they do not prove causation or establish treatments.

Scientists map gene activity in brain’s prefrontal cortex · Single-nucleus atlas of cell-type specific genetic regulation in the human brain · Landmark map of human brain’s gene activity holds clues to Alzheimer’s disease and more · Lifespan single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the human prefrontal cortex