Resolving plant development in space and time with single-cell genomics

Trevor M Nolan; Rachel Shahan

doi:10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102444

Resolving plant development in space and time with single-cell genomics

Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2023 Dec:76:102444. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102444. Epub 2023 Sep 9.

Authors

Trevor M Nolan¹, Rachel Shahan²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
² Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA. Electronic address: rachel.shahan@duke.edu.

PMID: 37696725
DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2023.102444

Abstract

Single-cell genomics technologies are ushering in a new research era. In this review, we summarize the benefits and current challenges of using these technologies to probe the transcriptional regulation of plant development. In addition to profiling cells at a single snapshot in time, researchers have recently produced time-resolved datasets to map cell responses to stimuli. Live-imaging and spatial transcriptomic techniques are rapidly being adopted to link a cell's transcriptional profile with its spatial location within a tissue. Combining these technologies is a powerful spatiotemporal approach to investigate cell plasticity and developmental responses that contribute to plant resilience. Although there are hurdles to overcome, we conclude by discussing how single-cell genomics is poised to address developmental questions in the coming years.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Gene Expression Profiling
Genomics* / methods
Plant Development / genetics
Single-Cell Analysis / methods
Transcriptome*