Single-cell analysis of cell identity in the Arabidopsis root apical meristem: insights and opportunities. (21st May 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Shahan, Rachel; Nolan, Trevor M; Benfey, Philip N
• Editors: Dubrovsky, Joseph
• Is Part Of: Journal of experimental botany. Volume 72:Number 19(2021)
• Page Start: 6679
• Page End: 6686
• Publication Date: 2021-05-21
• Subjects: Arabidopsis root -- cell identity -- chromatin accessibility -- developmental trajectories -- environmental response -- single-cell RNA sequencing -- transcriptomics; Botany -- Periodicals; Botany, Experimental -- Periodicals; Plant physiology -- Periodicals; 580
• DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab228
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-0957

Abstract

Abstract: A fundamental question in developmental biology is how the progeny of stem cells become differentiated tissues. The Arabidopsis root is a tractable model to address this question due to its simple organization and defined cell lineages. In particular, the zone of dividing cells at the root tip—the root apical meristem—presents an opportunity to map the gene regulatory networks underlying stem cell niche maintenance, tissue patterning, and cell identity acquisition. To identify molecular regulators of these processes, studies over the last 20 years employed global profiling of gene expression patterns. However, these technologies are prone to information loss due to averaging gene expression signatures over multiple cell types and/or developmental stages. Recently developed high-throughput methods to profile gene expression at single-cell resolution have been successfully applied to plants. Here, we review insights from the first published single-cell mRNA sequencing and chromatin accessibility datasets generated from Arabidopsis roots. These studies successfully reconstruct developmental trajectories, phenotype cell identity mutants at unprecedented resolution, and reveal cell type-specific responses to environmental stimuli. The experimental insight gained from Arabidopsis paves the way to profile roots from additional species. Abstract : Single-cell mRNA sequencing and chromatin accessibility approaches are revolutionizing the study of plant development and environmental responses. Droplet-based technologies have been successfully applied to root and shoot tissues of model species.