# scAGCI: an anchor graph-based method for cell clustering from integrated scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq data

**Authors:** Yao Dong, Jiaxue Zhang, Jin Shi, Yushan Hu, Xiaowen Cao, Yongfeng Dong, Xuekui Zhang

PMC · DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbaf244 · 2025-07-07

## TL;DR

This paper introduces scAGCI, a new method for clustering cells using both RNA and ATAC data, improving accuracy and efficiency in identifying cell types and subtypes.

## Contribution

scAGCI introduces dynamic anchor unification to better model high-order feature interactions in multi-omics data.

## Key findings

- scAGCI outperforms 13 existing methods in clustering performance and computational efficiency.
- The method preserves biologically meaningful patterns through marker gene enrichment and functional analysis.
- Dynamic anchor unification enhances the integration of scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq data.

## Abstract

Single-cell multi-omics clustering confronts noise and heterogeneity barriers. Current multi-view anchor graph approaches, though successful in noise reduction, inadequately model higher order feature interactions. To address this issue, we propose scAGCI, a cell clustering method based on anchor graphs that integrates both scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq data. Our method captures specific and shared anchor graphs representing the properties of omics data in the process of dynamic anchor unification, and mines high-order shared information to complete the omics representation. Subsequently, clustering results are obtained by integrating the specific and shared omics representation. Benchmarking against 13 state-of-the-art methods confirms scAGCI’s superior clustering performance and computational efficiency in cell-type identification and subtype resolution. The method preserves biologically meaningful omics patterns, as evidenced by marker gene enrichment and functional analyses, establishing it as a robust tool for elucidating cellular heterogeneity in single-cell multi-omics data.

## Full-text entities

- **Genes:** FCGR3A (Fc gamma receptor IIIa) [NCBI Gene 2214] {aka CD16-II, CD16A, FCG3, FCGR3, FCRIIIA, FcGRIIIA}, RARA (retinoic acid receptor alpha) [NCBI Gene 5914] {aka NR1B1, RAR, RARalpha}, CD14 (CD14 molecule) [NCBI Gene 929], ESRG (embryonic stem cell related) [NCBI Gene 790952] {aka HESRG}, Itpr3 (inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor 3) [NCBI Gene 16440] {aka IP3R 3, IP3R-3, Ip3r3, Itpr-3, tf}, Glyat (glycine-N-acyltransferase) [NCBI Gene 107146] {aka A330009E03Rik, ACGNAT, CAT, GAT}, Scai (suppressor of cancer cell invasion) [NCBI Gene 320271] {aka 9330112M16, A930041I02Rik}, Fcgr3 (Fc receptor, IgG, low affinity III) [NCBI Gene 14131] {aka CD16}, GRID2 (glutamate ionotropic receptor delta type subunit 2) [NCBI Gene 2895] {aka GluD2, SCAR18}, CD4 (CD4 molecule) [NCBI Gene 920] {aka CD4mut, IMD79, Leu-3, OKT4D, T4}, RELA (RELA proto-oncogene, NF-kB subunit) [NCBI Gene 5970] {aka AIF3BL3, CMCU, NFKB3, p65}, PRAME (PRAME nuclear receptor transcriptional regulator) [NCBI Gene 23532] {aka CT130, MAPE, OIP-4, OIP4}, JUND (JunD proto-oncogene, AP-1 transcription factor subunit) [NCBI Gene 3727] {aka AP-1}, FOS (Fos proto-oncogene, AP-1 transcription factor subunit) [NCBI Gene 2353] {aka AP-1, C-FOS, p55}, JUN (Jun proto-oncogene, AP-1 transcription factor subunit) [NCBI Gene 3725] {aka AP-1, AP1, c-Jun, cJUN, p39}, SGPL1 (sphingosine-1-phosphate lyase 1) [NCBI Gene 8879] {aka NPHS14, RENI, S1PL, SPL}, TERF1 (telomeric repeat binding factor 1) [NCBI Gene 7013] {aka PIN2, TRBF1, TRF, TRF1, hTRF1-AS, t-TRF1}, Cd4 (CD4 antigen) [NCBI Gene 12504] {aka L3T4, Ly-4}, Vti1b (vesicle transport through interaction with t-SNAREs 1B) [NCBI Gene 53612] {aka GES30, MVti1b, SNARE, Vti1-rp1}, SPDEF (SAM pointed domain containing ETS transcription factor) [NCBI Gene 25803] {aka PDEF, bA375E1.3}, REL (REL proto-oncogene, NF-kB subunit) [NCBI Gene 5966] {aka C-Rel, HIVEN86A, IMD92}, Cd14 (CD14 antigen) [NCBI Gene 12475], POU5F1B (POU class 5 homeobox 1B) [NCBI Gene 5462] {aka OCT4-PG1, OCT4PG1, OTF3C, OTF3P1, POU5F1P1, POU5F1P4}, HLA-DRB1 (major histocompatibility complex, class II, DR beta 1) [NCBI Gene 3123] {aka DRB1, HLA-DR1B, HLA-DRB, SS1}
- **Diseases:** immunodeficiency (MESH:D007153), inflammatory (MESH:D007249), blood cancer (MESH:D019337)
- **Chemicals:** scATAC (-)
- **Species:** Homo sapiens (human, species) [taxon 9606], Mus musculus (house mouse, species) [taxon 10090]
- **Cell lines:** GM12878 — Homo sapiens (Human), Transformed cell line (CVCL_7526), H1 — Homo sapiens (Human), Induced pluripotent stem cell (CVCL_HA53), BJ — Homo sapiens (Human), Telomerase immortalized cell line (CVCL_6573), S2 — Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly), Spontaneously immortalized cell line (CVCL_Z232), GM — Capra hircus (Goat), Goat melanoma, Cancer cell line (CVCL_C7TS), K562 — Homo sapiens (Human), Blast phase chronic myelogenous leukemia, BCR-ABL1 positive, Cancer cell line (CVCL_0004)

## Figures

8 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12232420/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12232420