Circuit-aligned specialization of human basal ganglia astrocytes

Multimodal analysis of human basal ganglia astrocytes This repository contains analysis code and release artifacts supporting a multimodal study of astrocyte diversity and organization across the adult human basal ganglia (BG).The work integrates single-nucleus transcriptomics and chromatin accessibility with DNA methylation, three-dimensional chromatin conformation, and spatial transcriptomics to define region- and circuit-informed astrocyte states. The analyses presented here are part of a broader Human and Mammalian Brain Atlas (HMBA) effort within the NIH BRAIN Initiative Cell Atlas Network (BICAN), and are associated with a manuscript currently under submission. Overview Astrocytes play essential roles in synaptic regulation and local homeostasis, yet their diversity and organizational principles across the human basal ganglia remain incompletely defined.This project focuses on establishing a multimodal, region-resolved reference of BG astrocytes and relating their molecular programs to circuit context, developmental origin, and candidate regulatory features. Key themes include: Integration of transcriptomic, epigenomic, and spatial modalities Comparison of astrocyte states across striatal gray matter, extra-striatal gray matter, and white matter Identification of spatially restricted astrocyte states within conserved striatal niches Nomination of candidate markers and regulatory elements to guide targeted functional studies