Single-nucleus transcriptomics resolves differentiation dynamics between shoot stem cells and primary stem.

Abstract

The shoot apical meristem (SAM), located at the plant apex, is accountable for the formation of above-ground organs such as leaves, stem and flowers. Although transcriptional profiling has elucidated some cell-types observed within stems or flowers, the differentiation transcriptional dynamics from shoot stem cells to multiple cell identities remain unknown. We employed a single-nucleus RNA-sequencing approach to assess the transcriptional heterogeneity and cell differentiation processes within the SAM. By collecting dissected inflorescence meristems, we constructed an inflorescence single-nucleus SAM atlas from Arabidopsis thaliana. Our analysis unveiled regulatory elements for most previously known cell types such as the boundary domain, vasculature, early primordia, epidermis and internal stem cells. We also identified previously unobserved transcriptional profiles, revealing that the stem cortex is defined early within forming primordia. Moreover, trajectory inference analysis allowed us to capture spatial control of S-phase machinery by floral homeotic genes and differentiation gene expression dynamics from internal shoot stem cells toward internal layers such as cortex, cambium, xylem and phloem. The results advance our understanding of the cellular and transcriptional heterogeneity underlying the cell-fate transcriptional dynamics shaping shoot organs and architecture.