Single-cell and spatial multiomics identifies heterogeneous xylem development driven by mechanical stress in Populus
Journal
Developmental Cell
ISSN
1534-5807
Date Issued
2025-07-22
Author(s)
Hsieh, Jo-Wei Allison
Liou, Pin-Chien
Lin, Chia-Chang
Dai, Xiufang
Hu, Chen-Wei
Wang, I-Fan
Dang, Jr-Fong
Ho, Yi-Chi
Cheng, Kai-Wen
Xu, Wenjing
Kuo, Shang-Che
Kao, Chung-Ting
Yang, Dian-Xuan
Wang, Ray
Xiao, Ke
Lin, Jeng-Shane
Hsu, Chuan-Chih
Cheng, Yuxiang
Tseng, Mei-Chun
Li, Wei
Chen, Ying-Lan
Abstract
Xylem, the predominant tissue for structural support, forms tension wood with G-layer-rich fibers under mechanical stress. Despite being recognized over a century ago, three key biological questions remained unclear: (1) are fibers in normal and tension wood distinct cells due to morphological differences? (2) Do tension wood fibers arise from different lineages? (3) What are the key genes controlling tension wood formation? We conducted single-cell RNA sequencing on normal, tension and opposite xylem. Fibers in normal and tension wood belong to the same cell type and lineage. Differential developmental speed and cell-type ratio in tension and opposite xylem were further validated by spatial transcriptomics and metabolomics. Phosphoproteomics showed mechanical sensing mechanisms conserved between stems and roots across angiosperms. We identified a group of genes involved in the cell fate transition in tension wood. The knowledge on the heterogeneity of cell development offers insights into optimizing biomass production and bioenergy yield.
Subjects
cell fate determination
gravity sensing
LC-MS/MS
MALDI imaging
mechanical stress
single-cell transcriptomics
spatial metabolomics
spatial transcriptomics
tension wood
xylem development
SDGs
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Description
Article in press
Type
journal article