Cell Type–Specific Transcriptional and Epigenetic Profiles from a Rare Neuronal Population within the Arcuate Nucleus

The arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus is home to a wide assortment of cell types, many of which uniquely contribute to the regulation of energy homeostasis. Given the high degree of cellular heterogeneity present within the ARC, solutions are needed to achieve a better appreciation for the distinct molecular characteristics of relevant cell types. Past approaches enabling cell type specificity are beset with limitations involving time- and labor-intensiveness, low cellular throughput, and processing-induced changes in cellular state. Moreover, to-date, there exist a paucity of techniques that allow for epigenetic profiling of rare cell types within the brain. The recently developed Nuclear tagging and Translating Ribosome Affinity Purification (NuTRAP) provides an unprecedented ability to obtain either cell type-specific transcriptional or epigenetic profiles. Here we examine the capacity of NuTRAP to obtain cell type specific transcriptional and epigenetic profiles in a relatively small population of energy state-sensitive neurons within the ARC.