# Epigenome-based Cell Census and Regulatory Element Discovery in the Aging Mouse Brain

> **NIH NIH R01** · SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES · 2020 · $912,476

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY 
 Brain  cells  exhibit  profound  molecular  and  cellular  changes  during  aging.  Epigenomic  marks  such  as 
DNA  methylation are associated  with age  in  multiple human  tissues,  suggesting an  alteration  of  transcriptional 
regulation during aging.  However,  age-­associated  epigenomic  signatures  have  not  been determined  with  cell-­
type  specificity  in  the  brain.  Single-­cell  epigenomic  strategies,  such  as  single-­cell  DNA  methylation  and  open 
chromatin  profiling  assays,  are  powerful  strategies  for  de  novo  identification  of  cell-­type  specific  epigenome 
landscapes in heterogeneous tissues. At the same time, these strategies uniquely allow the identification of cell-­
type specific regulatory elements that control gene expression patterns in complex tissues. The proposed project 
will  complement  and  build  upon  current  NIH-­supported  BRAIN  Initiative  efforts  to  produce  an  epigenomic  cell 
atlas  of  the  aging  mouse brain  at  the  single-­cell  level.   Single-­cell  DNA  methylome  and  chromatin accessibility 
data will be generated to allow identification of cell types and cell-­type specific regulatory elements in the brains 
of  middle-­aged  (9  month  old)  and  aged  (18  month  old)  mice,  and  in  brains  of  aged  mice  subject  to  caloric 
restriction.  Aging-­associated  epigenomic  signatures  will  be  identified  through  comparison  to  single-­cell 
epigenomic data generated from young mice generated by a BICCN U19 Center for Epigenomics of the Mouse 
Brain Atlas  (CEMBA).  Through  generation of a  comprehensive epigenome-­based brain  cell  reference atlas  of 
the aging mouse brain, the proposed research will provide invaluable resources for the aging-­research field.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10021544
- **Project number:** 5R01AG066018-02
- **Recipient organization:** SALK INSTITUTE FOR BIOLOGICAL STUDIES
- **Principal Investigator:** Joseph R Ecker
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $912,476
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-30 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10021544

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10021544, Epigenome-based Cell Census and Regulatory Element Discovery in the Aging Mouse Brain (5R01AG066018-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10021544. Licensed CC0.

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