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Abstract Plant roots navigate the soil ecosystem with each cell type uniquely responding to environmental stimuli. Below ground, the plant's response to its surroundings is orchestrated at the cellular level, including morphological and molecular adaptations that shape root system architecture as well as tissue and organ functionality. Our understanding of the transcriptional responses at cell type resolution has been profoundly enhanced by studies of the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. However, both a comprehensive view of the transcriptional basis of these cellular responses to single and combinatorial environmental cues in diverse plant species remains elusive. In this review, we highlight the ability of root cell types to undergo specific anatomical or morphological changes in response to abiotic and biotic stresses or cues and how they collectively contribute to the plant's overall physiology. We further explore interconnections between stress and the temporal nature of developmental pathways and discuss examples of how this transcriptional reprogramming influences cell type identity and function. Finally, we highlight the power of single-cell and spatial transcriptomic approaches to refine our understanding of how environmental factors fine tune root spatiotemporal development. These complex root system responses underscore the importance of spatiotemporal transcriptional mapping, with significant implications for enhanced agricultural resilience.
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This content will become publicly available on February 1, 2027
Integrating Single-Cell and Spatial Multi-Omics to Decode Plant–Microbe Interactions at Cellular Resolution
Understanding the intimate interactions between plants and their microbiota at the cellular level is essential for unlocking the full potential of plant holobionts in agricultural systems. Traditional bulk and microbial community-level sequencing approaches reveal broad community patterns but fail to resolve how distinct plant cell types interact with or regulate microbial colonization, as well as the diverse antagonistic and synergistic interactions and responses existing between various microbial populations. Recent advances in single-cell and spatial multi-omics have transformed our understanding of plant cell identities as well as gene regulatory programs and their dynamic regulation in response to environmental stresses and plant development. In this review, we highlight the single-cell discoveries that uncover the plant cell-type-specific microbial perception, immune activation, and symbiotic differentiation, particularly in roots, nodules, and leaves. We further discuss how integrating transcriptomic, epigenomic, and spatial data can reconstruct multilayered interaction networks that connect plant cell-type-specific regulatory states with microbial spatial niches and inter-kingdom signaling (e.g., ligand–receptor and metabolite exchange), providing a foundation for developing new strategies to engineer crop–microbiome interactions to support sustainable agriculture. We conclude by outlining key methodological challenges and future research priorities that point toward building a fully integrated cellular interactome of the plant holobiont.
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- PAR ID:
- 10673358
- Publisher / Repository:
- MDPI
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Microorganisms
- Volume:
- 14
- Issue:
- 2
- ISSN:
- 2076-2607
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 380
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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