The Dawn of Plant Spatial Transcriptomics Research
摘要
Plant spatial transcriptomics has emerged as a transformative technology in life sciences, enabling the simultaneous acquisition of gene expression data and spatial localization while preserving tissue architecture. This chapter reviews recent advancements in plant spatial transcriptomics, highlighting its evolution from tissue-level to single-cell and subcellular resolution. Key innovations include the integration of cell wall staining with sequencing-based approaches (e.g., Stereo-seq), enabling precise cell boundary delineation and subcellular transcriptomic profiling. Applications of this technology span diverse plant species and tissues, addressing critical questions in cell type discovery, functional annotation, micro-environment analysis, and developmental lineage reconstruction. Spatial transcriptomics also facilitates multi-omics integration, providing deeper insights into plant–microbe interactions and metabolic processes. Despite its transformative potential, challenges remain in optimizing spatial information utilization, reducing costs, and developing advanced analytical tools. Future directions include enhancing resolution, enabling simultaneous multi-omics data capture, and fostering global large-scale scientific cooperation to address complex biological questions. By bridging spatial and transcriptional information, spatial transcriptomics offers unprecedented opportunities to advance plant biology research and address global challenges in agriculture and ecology.