Histone modifications underpin the cell-type-specific gene regulatory networks that drive the remarkable cellular heterogeneity of the adult mammalian brain. Here, we profiled four histone modifications jointly with transcriptome in 2.5 million nuclei across multiple adult mouse brain regions. By integrating these data with existing maps of chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation, and 3D genome organization, we established a unified regulatory framework for over 100 brain cell subclasses. This integrative epigenomic atlas annotates 81% of the genome, defining distinct active, primed, and repressive states. Notably, active chromatin states marked by combinatorial histone modifications more precisely identify functional enhancers than chromatin accessibility alone, while Polycomb- and H3K9me3-mediated repression contributes prominently to cell-type-specific regulation. Finally, this multi-modal resource enables deep learning models to predict epigenomic features and gene expression from DNA sequences. This work provides a comprehensive annotation of the mouse brain regulatory genome and a framework for interpreting non-coding variation in complex tissues.
HIGHLIGHTS
-A single-cell epigenome atlas of transcription and four histone modifications across 2.5M mouse brain cells.
-Multi-modal integration functionally annotates ∼81% of the adult mouse brain regulatory genome
-Cell-type-resolved chromatin landscapes reveal regulatory programs mediated by enhancers, Polycomb and H3K9me3
-Deep learning models predict cell-type-specific epigenomic features and gene expression from DNA sequence
