Single-Cell and Spatial Regulatory Map of Poplar

Authors:

Ziliang Luo* ([email protected]), Sohyun Bang, Ankush Sangra, Kevin Sun, Robert J. Schmitz, Carol Buell

Institutions:

Department of Genetics, University of Georgia

Abstract

Understanding the intricate regulatory mechanisms governing gene expression in plants is important for precise and efficient crop engineering. In this project, researchers present a comprehensive study aiming to construct a cell atlas elucidating the cisregulatory elements (CREs) and the spatial-gene expression network in poplar (Populus sp.)

Leveraging single-cell assay for transposase-accessible chromatin sequencing (scATAC-seq), researchers dissect chromatin accessibility at the single-cell level to identify CREs related to important poplar traits. The team also applied spatial transcriptomics (spRNA-seq) on various poplar tissues to unravel gene expression patterns in a spatial and temporal context. The resulting single-cell and spatial regulatory atlas will provide essential knowledge for re-engineering poplar as a multipurpose crop that can be used for bioenergy, biomaterial, and bioproduct production.