Unified molecular approach for spatial epigenome, transcriptome, and cell lineages

Area of Science:

• Genomics
• Epigenomics
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Spatial epigenomics and multiomics offer detailed cellular insights.
• Current methods require specialized slides and chemistries, limiting accessibility.
• A unified approach for spatial multiomics is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce SPACE-seq, a novel method for spatial multiomics.
• Enable facile spatial multiomics using standard reagents.
• Characterize glioblastoma using spatial multiomics.

Main Methods:

• Developed SPACE-seq utilizing polyadenine-tailed epigenomic libraries.
• Employed standard whole transcriptome reagents for library preparation.
• Applied SPACE-seq to a human glioblastoma specimen.

Main Results:

• Revealed the cellular states within the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment.
• Determined extrachromosomal DNA copy numbers spatially.
• Identified putative mitochondrial DNA variants within the specimen.

Conclusions:

• SPACE-seq facilitates spatial multiomics with existing reagents.
• The method provides comprehensive insights into complex biological samples.
• SPACE-seq is a powerful tool for studying diseases like glioblastoma.