Spatial-CUT&Tag: Spatially resolved chromatin modification profiling at the cellular level

Abstract

Spatial omics emerged as a new frontier of biological and biomedical research. Here, we present spatial-CUT&Tag for spatially resolved genome-wide profiling of histone modifications by combining in situ CUT&Tag chemistry, microfluidic deterministic barcoding, and next-generation sequencing. Spatially resolved chromatin states in mouse embryos revealed tissue-type-specific epigenetic regulations in concordance with ENCODE references and provide spatial information at tissue scale. Spatial-CUT&Tag revealed epigenetic control of the cortical layer development and spatial patterning of cell types determined by histone modification in mouse brain. Single-cell epigenomes can be derived in situ by identifying 20-micrometer pixels containing only one nucleus using immunofluorescence imaging. Spatial chromatin modification profiling in tissue may offer new opportunities to study epigenetic regulation, cell function, and fate decision in normal physiology and pathogenesis.