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A Chromatin Accessibility Atlas of the Developing Human Telencephalon

Gene expression differs between cell types and regions within complex tissues such as the developing brain. To discover regulatory elements underlying this specificity, we generated genome-wide maps of chromatin accessibility in nine anatomically-defined regions of the developing human telencephalon. Additionally, we defined the histone modification landscape of the prefrontal cortex and generated chromatin accessibility maps of its upper and deep layers. We predicted a subset of open chromatin regions (18%) that are most likely to be active enhancers, many of which are dynamic with 26% differing between early and late mid-gestation and 28% present in only one brain region. These predicted regulatory elements (pREs) are enriched proximal to genes with expression differences across developmental stages, regions, and cortical laminae; they harbor distinct sequence motifs that suggest potential upstream regulators. We leveraged this atlas to predict and validate novel regulatory elements of genes that control cortex laminar identity and genes associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These include enhancers proximal to FEZF2 and BCL11A that were validated in mouse, and an enhancer of ASD gene SLC6A1 containing two functional de novo mutations in individuals with ASD whose enhancer function we validated via CRISPRa. We also include data for transcription factor binding in mid-fetal cortex tissues, using CUT&RUN methods.