📰 A new study by Li et al. 2022 (The Crop Journal) profiled the transcriptomes of more than 7000 cells derived from root tips of maize seedlings grown on media with or without nitrate.
🧬 Researchers compared the single-cell transcriptome profiles of each cell type between the nitrate+ and nitrate- data sets.
📌 Key findings:
-> 11 major cell types or tissues were identified,
-> 85 cell type-specific nitrate-response genes were found,
-> nitrate absorption and assimilation were induced specifically in epidermal and meristematic zone cells
-> the annotation of gene ontology (GO) function provide an overview of responses to nitrate at the single-cell level,
-> comparison of root cells between maize and rice revealed the conservation and divergence of the root cell types.
🎯 Researchers concluded that the facilitation of plant responses to N (or other nutrients) at the cell-type or tissue level will allow the optimization of fertilizing programs, with the aim to improve agricultural productivity & sustainability.
Also read about: Blowing Bubbles to Pollinate Flowers
📷 Image: schematic representation of root tip structure and gene ontology (GO) function of marker genes of each cell type of maize root tips (based on Li et al. 2022; The Crop Journal; illustrated by Content Farmers).
Post by Michał Słota
Business Development | R&D | Biotechnologist | Biologist | Doctor of Medical Science  | Content creator | Science communicator
