Splicing varies across brain regions, but the single-cell resolution of regional variation is unclear. We present a single-cell investigation of differential isoform expression (DIE) between brain... Show moreSplicing varies across brain regions, but the single-cell resolution of regional variation is unclear. We present a single-cell investigation of differential isoform expression (DIE) between brain regions using single-cell long-read sequencing in mouse hippocampus and prefrontal cortex in 45 cell types at postnatal day 7 (www.isoformAtlas.com). Isoform tests for DIE show better performance than exon tests. We detect hundreds of DIE events traceable to cell types, often corresponding to functionally distinct protein isoforms. Mostly, one cell type is responsible for brain-region specific DIE. However, for fewer genes, multiple cell types influence DIE. Thus, regional identity can, although rarely, override cell-type specificity. Cell types indigenous to one anatomic structure display distinctive DIE, e.g. the choroid plexus epithelium manifests distinct transcription-start-site usage. Spatial transcriptomics and long-read sequencing yield a spatially resolved splicing map. Our methods quantify isoform expression with cell-type and spatial resolution and it contributes to further our understanding of how the brain integrates molecular and cellular complexity. Alternative RNA splicing varies across the brain. Its mapping at single cell resolution is unclear. Here, the authors provide a spatial and single-cell splicing atlas reporting brain region- and cell type-specific expression of different isoforms in the postnatal mouse brain. Show less
DNA polymerase catalyzes the accurate transfer of genetic information from one generation to the next, and thus it is vitally important for replication to be faithful. DNA polymerase fulfills the... Show moreDNA polymerase catalyzes the accurate transfer of genetic information from one generation to the next, and thus it is vitally important for replication to be faithful. DNA polymerase fulfills the strict requirements for fidelity by a combination of mechanisms: 1) high selectivity for correct nucleotide incorporation, 2) a slowing down of the replication rate after misincorporation, and 3) proofreading by excision of misincorporated bases. To elucidate the kinetic interplay between replication and proofreading, we used high-resolution optical tweezers to probe how DNA-duplex stability affects replication by bacteriophage T7 DNA polymerase. Our data show highly irregular replication dynamics, with frequent pauses and direction reversals as the polymerase cycles through the states that govern the mechanochemistry behind high-fidelity T7 DNA replication. We constructed a kinetic model that incorporates both existing biochemical data and the, to our knowledge, novel states we observed. We fit the model directly to the acquired pause-time and run-time distributions. Our findings indicate that the main pathway for error correction is DNA polymerase dissociation-mediated DNA transfer, followed by biased binding into the exonuclease active site. The number of bases removed by this proofreading mechanism is much larger than the number of erroneous bases that would be expected to be incorporated, ensuring a high-fidelity replication of the bacteriophage T7 genome. Show less
