Improved single-cell ATAC-seq reveals chromatin dynamics of in vitro corticogenesis

Abstract

Development is a complex process that requires the precise modulation of regulatory gene networks controlled through dynamic changes in the epigenome. Single-cell-omic technologies provide an avenue for understanding the mechanisms of these processes by capturing the progression of epigenetic cell states during the course of cellular differentiation using in vitro or in vivo models1. However, current single-cell epigenomic methods are limited in the information garnered per individual cell, which in turn limits their ability to measure chromatin dynamics and state shifts. Single-cell combinatorial indexing (sci-) has been applied as a strategy for identifying single-cell-omic originating libraries and removes the necessity of single-cell, single-compartment chemistry2. Here, we report an improved sci-assay for transposase accessible chromatin by sequencing (ATAC-seq), which utilizes the small molecule inhibitor Pitstop 2 (scip-ATAC-seq)3. We demonstrate that these improvements, which theoretically could be applied to any in situ transposition method for single-cell library preparation, significantly increase the ability of transposase to enter the nucleus and generate highly complex single-cell libraries, without altering biological signal. We applied sci-ATAC-seq and scip-ATAC-seq to characterize the chromatin dynamics of developing forebrain-like organoids, an in vitro model of human corticogenesis4. Using these data, we characterized novel putative regulatory elements, compared the epigenome of the organoid model to human cortex data, generated a high-resolution pseudotemporal map of chromatin accessibility through differentiation, and measured epigenomic changes coinciding with a neurogenic fate decision point. Finally, we combined transcription factor motif accessibility with gene activity (GA) scores to directly observe the dynamics of complex regulatory programs that regulate neurogenesis through developmental pseudotime. Overall, scip-ATAC-seq increases information content per cell and bolsters the potential for future single-cell studies into complex developmental processes.