Dictionary learning for integrative, multimodal and scalable single-cell analysis

Yuhan Hao, Tim Stuart, Madeline H. Kowalski, Saket Choudhary, Paul Hoffman, Austin Hartman, Avi Srivastava, Gesmira Molla, Shaista Madad, Carlos Fernandez-Granda, Rahul Satija

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Mapping single-cell sequencing profiles to comprehensive reference datasets provides a powerful alternative to unsupervised analysis. However, most reference datasets are constructed from single-cell RNA-sequencing data and cannot be used to annotate datasets that do not measure gene expression. Here we introduce ‘bridge integration’, a method to integrate single-cell datasets across modalities using a multiomic dataset as a molecular bridge. Each cell in the multiomic dataset constitutes an element in a ‘dictionary’, which is used to reconstruct unimodal datasets and transform them into a shared space. Our procedure accurately integrates transcriptomic data with independent single-cell measurements of chromatin accessibility, histone modifications, DNA methylation and protein levels. Moreover, we demonstrate how dictionary learning can be combined with sketching techniques to improve computational scalability and harmonize 8.6 million human immune cell profiles from sequencing and mass cytometry experiments. Our approach, implemented in version 5 of our Seurat toolkit (http://www.satijalab.org/seurat), broadens the utility of single-cell reference datasets and facilitates comparisons across diverse molecular modalities.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)293-304
Number of pages12
JournalNature Biotechnology
Volume42
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2024

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biotechnology
  • Bioengineering
  • Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology
  • Molecular Medicine
  • Biomedical Engineering

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