Single-Cell Transcriptomics Applied in Plants

Area of Science:

• Plant biology
• Genomics
• Molecular biology

Background:

• Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) revolutionizes biological system analysis by enabling individual cell expression profiling.
• Despite its impact, the full potential of scRNA-seq in plant science remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comprehensively review significant scRNA-seq findings and applications in plant tissues.
• To identify resources for marker gene discovery and analyze challenges for future plant research.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of recent scRNA-seq studies in plant science.
• Focus on applications in model plants, crops, and wood.
• Identification of relevant databases for cell-type specific gene expression analysis.

Main Results:

• Compilation of key scRNA-seq advancements and applications in diverse plant systems.
• Introduction of five databases aiding in the identification of distinct cell type marker genes.
• Analysis of current challenges and future prospects for scRNA-seq in plant research.

Conclusions:

• scRNA-seq holds significant promise for advancing plant biology research.
• Addressing identified challenges will be crucial for maximizing the technique's utility in plants.
• This review provides a foundation for future scRNA-seq applications in plant science.