PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Ortiz, Cantin AU - Navarro, Jose Fernandez AU - Jurek, Aleksandra AU - Märtin, Antje AU - Lundeberg, Joakim AU - Meletis, Konstantinos TI - Molecular atlas of the adult mouse brain AID - 10.1126/sciadv.abb3446 DP - 2020 Jun 01 TA - Science Advances PG - eabb3446 VI - 6 IP - 26 4099 - http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/26/eabb3446.short 4100 - http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/6/26/eabb3446.full SO - Sci Adv2020 Jun 01; 6 AB - Brain maps are essential for integrating information and interpreting the structure-function relationship of circuits and behavior. We aimed to generate a systematic classification of the adult mouse brain based purely on the unbiased identification of spatially defining features by employing whole-brain spatial transcriptomics. We found that the molecular information was sufficient to deduce the complex and detailed neuroanatomical organization of the brain. The unsupervised (non-expert, data-driven) classification revealed new area- and layer-specific subregions, for example in isocortex and hippocampus, and new subdivisions of striatum. The molecular atlas further supports the characterization of the spatial identity of neurons from their single-cell RNA profile, and provides a resource for annotating the brain using a minimal gene set—a brain palette. In summary, we have established a molecular atlas to formally define the spatial organization of brain regions, including the molecular code for mapping and targeting of discrete neuroanatomical domains.