Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have uncovered key genetic regulators in plant stem cells, offering new insights into crop size, resilience, and biofuel production
In a groundbreaking study, scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have identified the “master switch” that governs plant growth. By mapping genetic regulators in maize and Arabidopsis using single-cell RNA sequencing, the team has identified rare stem cell regulators linked to crop size and productivity. This discovery paves the way for breeding more resilient and high-yielding plants, potentially revolutionising food production and biofuel generation.
The critical role of plant stem cells
Plant stem cells play a crucial role in supporting the world’s food supply, animal feed, and fuel production. Yet, the understanding of plant stem cells remains a mystery, and previous analyses have failed to identify many essential genes that regulate their function.
However, for the first time, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) plant biologists have mapped two known stem cell regulators across thousands of maize and Arabidopsis shoot cells. Their research also revealed new stem cell regulators in both species and linked some to size variations in maize.
CSHL Professor David Jackson explains: “Ideally, we would like to know how to make a stem cell. It would enable us to regenerate plants better. It would allow us to understand plant diversity. One thing people are very excited about is breeding new crops that are more resilient or more productive. We don’t yet have a full list of regulators — the genes we need to do that.”
Dissecting stem cells one by one
The researchers focused on two well-known stem cell regulators called CLAVATA3 and WUSCHEL. A former postdoctoral researcher in Jackson’s lab, Xiaosa Xu, dissected small pieces of maize and Arabidopsis shoots containing stem cells. Then, the team used a ‘microfluidics’ machine, a device that can manipulate small amounts of liquid, to separate each cell, convert its RNA into DNA, and label it with a tag that identifies which cell it came from. This process allowed the team to study the genetic activity of individual stem cells, providing a more detailed understanding of their function.
This process, known as single-cell RNA sequencing, enables researchers to observe the expression of genes in thousands of cells simultaneously. “The great thing is that you have this atlas of gene expression,” Jackson said. “When we publish that, the whole community can use it. Other people interested in maize or Arabidopsis stem cells don’t have to repeat the experiment. They will be able to use our data.”
Single-cell RNA sequencing enabled the researchers to recover approximately 5,000 CLAVATA3– and 1,000 WUSCHEL-expressing cells. They then identified hundreds of genes that were preferentially expressed in both maize and Arabidopsis stem cells, suggesting they may be evolutionarily crucial across many plant species. The team then linked certain stem cell regulators to productivity in maize.
“It’s foundational knowledge that could guide research for the next decade,” Jackson added. “It can be used not only by developmental biologists, but also by physiologists, who think about how corn ears grow and how to improve productivity, and then breeders.”
