Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have mapped key stem cell genes in crops using single-cell RNA sequencing. This breakthrough reveals how plants grow and could lead to more productive, resilient crops through advanced breeding techniques.
Plants are the foundation of life on Earth. They provide us food, feed for animals, and raw materials for fuel. At the heart of plant growth are stem cells, which act as the building blocks that control how plants develop and adapt. However, scientists still have much to learn about how these stem cells function, especially which genes regulate them.
Now, for the first time, researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in the United States have made a significant discovery. They mapped the activity of key stem cell genes in thousands of individual cells from two plants: maize (corn) and Arabidopsis, a small flowering plant often used in plant research. The study was published in ScienceDirect.
This discovery could lead to the development of better crops in the future. These crops might be more productive, more resilient to climate change, or easier to breed.
Stem Cell Regulators
Within a plant’s shoot, the plant that grows above ground, there is a small area where stem cells are located. Two known genes, CLAVATA3 and WUSCHEL, are crucial in controlling these stem cells. However, scientists have long suspected that many more genes are involved, even though they have not been identified.
Professor David Jackson, the lead researcher, says, “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.”
What They Found
The team a process called single-cell RNA sequencing. This allowed the researchers to analyse how thousands of different genes behaved in over 100,000 plant cells, one cell at a time.
The team identified about 5,000 cells expressing CLAVATA3 and 1,000 expressing WUSCHEL. From there, they found hundreds of other genes that are active in stem cells, some of which had not been seen before. Many of these genes were shared between both maize and Arabidopsis, suggesting they are important for plant growth in many species.
The team also found links between some of these genes and maize productivity, such as how large the ears of corn can grow. These findings could help plant breeders select the best strains for growing more food or creating better animal feed and biofuels.
Why It Matters
This research is a major step forward in understanding how plants grow. It benefits not just scientists studying plant development, but also crop breeders, agricultural experts, and environmental scientists.
Professor David Jackson explains, “It’s foundational knowledge that could guide research for the next decade. It can be used not only by developmental biologists, but physiologists, who think about how corn ears grow and how to improve productivity, and then breeders.”
By unlocking the secrets of plant stem cells, scientists have opened the door to a new generation of smarter, stronger crops, something that can benefit the whole world.