Hi-Compass: a depth-aware deep learning framework for predicting cell-type-specific 3D genome organization from single-cell to spatial resolution

Three-dimensional genome organization controls cell-type-specific gene expression through chromatin interactions, yet systematic analysis across diverse cellular contexts remains limited by experimental constraints. Here we present Hi-Compass, a depth-aware deep learning framework that predicts cell-type-specific chromatin organization using only chromatin accessibility data as cell-type-specific input. By dynamically accommodating variability in sequencing depth, Hi-Compass enables robust predictions across the full spectrum of data scales, from sparse single-cell to high-coverage bulk profiles. Benchmarking shows that Hi-Compass achieves superior concordance with experimental Hi-C data compared to existing methods, with particularly strong recovery of high-confidence chromatin loops. Applied to peripheral blood and embryonic heart datasets, Hi-Compass resolves cell-type-specific chromatin interactions and systematically links disease-associated variants to putative target genes. The framework further enables spatially resolved chromatin interaction prediction in hippocampal tissue and demonstrates cross-species applicability through fine-tuning to mouse systems. Hi-Compass expands the capacity to study three-dimensional genome regulation across biological scales and species.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nature Communications
Published
2026-04-14
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-71877-z
Primary Topic
Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Hi-Compass: a depth-aware deep learning framework for predicting cell-type-specific 3D genome organization from single-cell to spatial resolution

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Nature Communications
Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
article

Hi-Compass: a depth-aware deep learning framework for predicting cell-type-specific 3D genome organization from single-cell to spatial resolution

Nana Wei, Runtao Gao, Yuanchen Sun, Hua-Jun Wu, Hao-Jie Wang, Ze-Yu Kuang, Jia-Lu Zhou, Fu-Ting Lai, Wen-Jie Jiang, Han-Wen Zhu, An Liu
article en

Abstract

Three-dimensional genome organization controls cell-type-specific gene expression through chromatin interactions, yet systematic analysis across diverse cellular contexts remains limited by experimental constraints. Here we present Hi-Compass, a depth-aware deep learning framework that predicts cell-type-specific chromatin organization using only chromatin accessibility data as cell-type-specific input. By dynamically accommodating variability in sequencing depth, Hi-Compass enables robust predictions across the full spectrum of data scales, from sparse single-cell to high-coverage bulk profiles. Benchmarking shows that Hi-Compass achieves superior concordance with experimental Hi-C data compared to existing methods, with particularly strong recovery of high-confidence chromatin loops. Applied to peripheral blood and embryonic heart datasets, Hi-Compass resolves cell-type-specific chromatin interactions and systematically links disease-associated variants to putative target genes. The framework further enables spatially resolved chromatin interaction prediction in hippocampal tissue and demonstrates cross-species applicability through fine-tuning to mouse systems. Hi-Compass expands the capacity to study three-dimensional genome regulation across biological scales and species.

Nature Communications
Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College (CN), Peking University (CN), Chinese PLA General Hospital (CN), Peking University Cancer Hospital (CN), Ministry of Education (ET), Center for Life Sciences (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics
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