Spatiotemporal Developmental Trajectories in the Arabidopsis Root Revealed Using High-Throughput Single-Cell RNA Sequencing

First author: Tom Denyer; Affiliations: University of Tübingen (图宾根大学): Tübingen, Germany

Corresponding author: Marja C.P. Timmermans

High-throughput single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) is becoming a cornerstone of developmental research, providing unprecedented power in understanding dynamic processes. Here, we present a high-resolution scRNA-seq expression atlas of the Arabidopsis root composed of thousands of independently profiled cells. This atlas provides detailed spatiotemporal information, identifying defining expression features for all major cell types, including the scarce cells of the quiescent center. These reveal key developmental regulators and downstream genes that translate cell fate into distinctive cell shapes and functions. Developmental trajectories derived from pseudotime analysis depict a finely resolved cascade of cell progressions from the niche through differentiation that are supported by mirroring expression waves of highly interconnected transcription factors. This study demonstrates the power of applying scRNA-seq to plants and provides an unparalleled spatiotemporal perspective of root cell differentiation.

高通量单细胞RNA-seq正成为发育生物学的基石，为理解基础的发育生物学问题提供了一个绝佳的利器。本文中，作者对包含数千个相互独立的细胞系的拟南芥根部组织进行了高分辨率的单细胞RNA-seq测序分析。该研究包含了详细的时空特异性信息，鉴定了所有主要细胞类型的基因表达特征，包括静止中心的几个细胞。这些分析揭示了促进细胞命运转变形成各类不同细胞类型和功能的关键发育调控子。通过拟时分析追踪发育轨迹，作者利用高度相互关联的转录因子表达波动描绘了一个从niche到逐步分化相关细胞学进程的精细级联。本文的研究揭示了单细胞RNA-seq在植物学研究中意义重大，并且提供了一个前所未有的植物根组织细胞分化的时空特性。

通讯：Marja C.P. Timmermans (https://uni-tuebingen.de/fakultaeten/mathematisch-naturwissenschaftliche-fakultaet/fachbereiche/zentren/zmbp/res/developmental-genetics/timmermans.html)

研究方向：小的非编码RNA在植物发育中的作用；茎尖干细胞的动态平衡和器官发生。

doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2019.02.022

Journal: Development Cell

Published date: March 25, 2019