Integrated single-cell multiomic profiling of caudate nucleus suggests key mechanisms in alcohol use disorder.

ABSTRACT: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) induces complex transcriptional and regulatory changes across multiple brain regions including the caudate nucleus, which remains understudied. Using paired single-nucleus RNA-seq and ATAC-seq on caudate samples from 143 human postmortem brains, including 74 with AUD, we identified 17 distinct cell types. A significant portion of the alcohol-related differences in gene expression were accompanied by a corresponding difference in chromatin accessibility within the gene. We observed transcriptional differences in medium spiny neurons that impact RNA metabolism and immune response pathways. A small cluster of D1/D2 hybrid neurons showed AUD-induced differences distinct from the D1 and D2 types, suggesting a unique role in AUD. Those with AUD had a higher proportion

SUBMITTER: Green NC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12518533 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature