In higher plants, organogenesis and the formation of the body plan require coordinated specification, cell fate acquisition, and proliferation of cells, cell types, and cell lineages. Increasing evidence suggests that a precise understanding of the regulatory processes underlying developmental processes demands systematic and systems biology approaches at high spatial and temporal resolutions. The plant female and male gametophytes are of particular interest to the investigation of such processes, due to their rather simple organization, typically consisting of only a small number of specialized cell types.
Novel methods are increasingly emerging to allow cell- and tissue type-specific comprehensive profiling, especially by transcriptomics, but also other “omics” technologies, for example in the profiling of proteins or epigenetic modifications. To gain specificity and to allow the targeted analysis of small and rare abundant cell types, such as plant female gametophytes, different approaches are used including isolation by micromanipulation, FACS (fluorescence-activated cell sorting), or INTACT (isolation of nuclei tagged in specific cell types). Technologies and applications for single-cell RNA-Sequencing are rapidly evolving to approach an understanding of the heterogeneity of differentiating or differentiated plant tissues.
Ultimately, cell and tissue type-specific investigations of the regulatory programs and molecular processes controlling differentiation, specification, and proliferation will be a precondition for a precise understanding of the underlying complex regulatory programs.
The scope of this Research Topic is to cover the state of approaches to “omics” profiling of plant development and high cell and tissue type-specific resolution, with a special emphasis on plant reproductive development and embryogenesis. We thereby welcome articles focusing on scientific findings, but also technologies and methods improvement. Topics should include, but are not limited to:
• Laser-assisted microdissection for transcriptional profiling;
• Isolation of reproductive cells and tissues for transcriptomics, proteomics,
and profiling of epigenetic modifications;
• Single-cell RNA-Sequencing of differentiated/differentiating plant tissues;
• Cell and tissue-type specific approaches combined with “omics” methods;
• Regulatory control and networks governing plant development at high spatial and temporal resolution.
We look forward to contributions of the following article types: Original Research, Perspective, Review, and Opinion Articles.
In higher plants, organogenesis and the formation of the body plan require coordinated specification, cell fate acquisition, and proliferation of cells, cell types, and cell lineages. Increasing evidence suggests that a precise understanding of the regulatory processes underlying developmental processes demands systematic and systems biology approaches at high spatial and temporal resolutions. The plant female and male gametophytes are of particular interest to the investigation of such processes, due to their rather simple organization, typically consisting of only a small number of specialized cell types.
Novel methods are increasingly emerging to allow cell- and tissue type-specific comprehensive profiling, especially by transcriptomics, but also other “omics” technologies, for example in the profiling of proteins or epigenetic modifications. To gain specificity and to allow the targeted analysis of small and rare abundant cell types, such as plant female gametophytes, different approaches are used including isolation by micromanipulation, FACS (fluorescence-activated cell sorting), or INTACT (isolation of nuclei tagged in specific cell types). Technologies and applications for single-cell RNA-Sequencing are rapidly evolving to approach an understanding of the heterogeneity of differentiating or differentiated plant tissues.
Ultimately, cell and tissue type-specific investigations of the regulatory programs and molecular processes controlling differentiation, specification, and proliferation will be a precondition for a precise understanding of the underlying complex regulatory programs.
The scope of this Research Topic is to cover the state of approaches to “omics” profiling of plant development and high cell and tissue type-specific resolution, with a special emphasis on plant reproductive development and embryogenesis. We thereby welcome articles focusing on scientific findings, but also technologies and methods improvement. Topics should include, but are not limited to:
• Laser-assisted microdissection for transcriptional profiling;
• Isolation of reproductive cells and tissues for transcriptomics, proteomics,
and profiling of epigenetic modifications;
• Single-cell RNA-Sequencing of differentiated/differentiating plant tissues;
• Cell and tissue-type specific approaches combined with “omics” methods;
• Regulatory control and networks governing plant development at high spatial and temporal resolution.
We look forward to contributions of the following article types: Original Research, Perspective, Review, and Opinion Articles.
