PAG Analgesic ATACseq analysis

The Single-Cell ATAC Sequencing (scATAC-Seq) analysis on cells from the periaqueductal gray (PAG) region of the brain employs ArchR to discern differences in chromatin accessibility linked to genes involved in pain signaling. The analysis with ArchR begins by preprocessing the raw sequencing data to identify individual cells, with noise and artifacts removed. ArchR then generates a chromatin accessibility matrix which represents each cell's accessible chromatin regions. The bioinformatics package enables us to identify differentially accessible regions (DARs) and cluster cells based on these accessibility profiles, which can help pinpoint distinct cell subpopulations within the PAG. The tool also offers powerful integrative capabilities, permitting a juxtaposition of scATAC-Seq data with transcriptomic (scRNA-Seq) data. By aligning these datasets, we can comprehensively elucidate how changes in chromatin accessibility could influence gene expression patterns, specifically those involved in pain signaling. This approach has the potential to reveal key epigenetic regulatory mechanisms that modulate the perception and response to pain in the PAG region of the brain.