Cui Mengqi, Shi Dongbo, Yamaji Momoko, Kumaishi Kie, Ichihashi Yasunori, Kawamura Ayako, Sugimoto Keiko, Yoshida Satoko
Graduate School of Science and Technology, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama-cho, Ikoma, Nara, Japan.
Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.
J Plant Res. 2025 Jul 2. doi: 10.1007/s10265-025-01654-4.
The facultative parasitic plant Phtheirospermum japonicum forms a specialized organ, the haustorium, to invade its host, Arabidopsis thaliana, establishing a vascular connection via the formation of a xylem bridge. This connection depends on coordinated interactions between the vascular systems of both plants, yet the molecular dynamics of these interactions within the haustorium and the host roots remain elusive. This study aimed to unravel the transcriptomic heterogeneity of haustoria and gene regulatory networks involved in this process by integrating single nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) and bulk RNA sequencing (bulk RNA-seq). snRNA-seq identified a total of 7 P. japonicum cell clusters and 4 A. thaliana cell clusters, each with cluster-specific marker genes, allowing for a distinct characterization of vascular cells within the haustorium. Differential gene expression analyses revealed up-regulation of genes associated with xylem formation and auxin transport in both parasites and hosts, suggesting the presence of shared molecular mechanisms facilitating vascular connection. Further gene network analysis combining snRNA-seq and bulk RNA-seq identified conserved homologous genes across both species, indicating potential molecular interactions of vascular-related genes from hosts and parasites. Our study reveals the high heterogeneity of haustorium cells, characterizing the expression profiles of each cell type in haustoria and host roots during haustorium development at single-cell resolution. These findings provide insights into the molecular interactions between parasitic plants and hosts, presenting potential targets for disrupting these interactions to manage parasitic plant infestations in crops.
兼性寄生植物日本列当形成一种特殊器官——吸器,用于侵入其寄主拟南芥,并通过形成木质部桥建立维管连接。这种连接依赖于两种植物维管系统之间的协同相互作用,然而吸器和寄主根内这些相互作用的分子动态仍不清楚。本研究旨在通过整合单核RNA测序(snRNA-seq)和批量RNA测序(bulk RNA-seq)来揭示吸器的转录组异质性以及参与该过程的基因调控网络。snRNA-seq共鉴定出7个日本列当细胞簇和4个拟南芥细胞簇,每个细胞簇都有簇特异性标记基因,从而能够对吸器内的维管细胞进行独特的表征。差异基因表达分析显示,寄生虫和寄主中与木质部形成和生长素运输相关的基因均上调,这表明存在促进维管连接的共同分子机制。进一步结合snRNA-seq和bulk RNA-seq的基因网络分析确定了两个物种间保守的同源基因,表明寄主和寄生虫维管相关基因存在潜在的分子相互作用。我们的研究揭示了吸器细胞的高度异质性,以单细胞分辨率表征了吸器发育过程中吸器和寄主根中每种细胞类型的表达谱。这些发现为寄生植物与寄主之间的分子相互作用提供了见解,为破坏这些相互作用以防治作物寄生植物侵染提供了潜在靶点。