National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Genomics, Key Laboratory of Genomics, Ministry of Agriculture, BGI Research, Shenzhen, China.
Nat Plants. 2024 May;10(5):815-827. doi: 10.1038/s41477-024-01683-2. Epub 2024 May 14.
A comprehensive understanding of inflorescence development is crucial for crop genetic improvement, as inflorescence meristems give rise to reproductive organs and determine grain yield. However, dissecting inflorescence development at the cellular level has been challenging owing to a lack of specific marker genes to distinguish among cell types, particularly in different types of meristems that are vital for organ formation. In this study, we used spatial enhanced resolution omics-sequencing (Stereo-seq) to construct a precise spatial transcriptome map of the developing maize ear primordium, identifying 12 cell types, including 4 newly defined cell types found mainly in the inflorescence meristem. By extracting the meristem components for detailed clustering, we identified three subtypes of meristem and validated two MADS-box genes that were specifically expressed at the apex of determinate meristems and involved in stem cell determinacy. Furthermore, by integrating single-cell RNA transcriptomes, we identified a series of spatially specific networks and hub genes that may provide new insights into the formation of different tissues. In summary, this study provides a valuable resource for research on cereal inflorescence development, offering new clues for yield improvement.
全面了解花序发育对于作物遗传改良至关重要，因为花序分生组织产生生殖器官并决定谷物产量。然而，由于缺乏特定的标记基因来区分细胞类型，特别是在对器官形成至关重要的不同类型的分生组织中，解析花序发育在细胞水平上一直具有挑战性。在这项研究中，我们使用空间增强分辨率组学测序（Stereo-seq）构建了发育中的玉米穗原基的精确空间转录组图谱，鉴定了 12 种细胞类型，包括主要存在于花序分生组织中的 4 种新定义的细胞类型。通过提取分生组织成分进行详细聚类，我们鉴定出三种分生组织亚型，并验证了两个 MADS-box 基因，它们在定形分生组织的顶端特异性表达，并参与干细胞确定性。此外，通过整合单细胞 RNA 转录组，我们鉴定了一系列具有空间特异性的网络和枢纽基因，这些基因可能为不同组织的形成提供新的见解。总之，这项研究为谷类花序发育的研究提供了有价值的资源，为提高产量提供了新的线索。
