Cell-type brain-region specific changes in prefrontal cortex of mouse model of alcohol dependence

The prefrontal cortex is a crucial regulator of escalation of alcohol drinking, dependence, and other behavioral criteria associated with AUD. Comprehensive identification of cell-type specific transcriptomic changes in alcohol dependence will improve our understanding of mechanisms mediating the escalation of alcohol use and will refine targets for therapeutic development. We performed single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) on ~150,000 single nuclei from the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) obtained from C57BL/6J mice exposed to the chronic intermittent ethanol exposure (CIE) paradigm which models phenotypes associated with alcohol dependence. Gene co-expression network analysis and differential expression analysis identified highly dysregulated co-expression networks in multiple cell types. Here, we present a comprehensive atlas of cell-type specific alcohol dependence related gene expression changes in the mPFC. Overall design: 8 control samples, 6 alcohol-vapor exposed samples