Towards a hierarchical gene regulatory network underlying somatic embryogenesis

Area of Science:

• Plant biotechnology
• Molecular biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Current crop design is limited by methods for improving somatic embryogenesis (SE).
• Genome-editing technologies offer potential but require enhanced SE capacity.
• Understanding plant cell totipotency is crucial for advancing SE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To update on the molecular mechanisms of auxin in promoting plant cell totipotency.
• To propose a gene regulatory network model for somatic embryogenesis.
• To discuss future research directions using single-cell genomics.

Main Methods:

• Review of molecular events involving auxin, transcriptome, and chromatin accessibility.
• Conceptualization of a hierarchical gene regulatory network for SE.
• Discussion of single-cell genomics for probing cellular origins and epigenetic states.

Main Results:

• Auxin induces massive changes in transcriptome and chromatin accessibility to promote totipotency.
• A hierarchical gene regulatory network involving chromatin states and transcription factors underlies SE.
• Single-cell genomics can reveal the cellular origins and epigenetic landscape of totipotent cells.

Conclusions:

• Understanding auxin's role in totipotency is key to improving SE.
• A gene regulatory network model provides a framework for SE research.
• Future research should leverage single-cell technologies to explore SE mechanisms.