Time-resolved single-cell atlas identifies the spatiotemporal transcription dynamics in vernalization response in Brassica rapa

Summary: Many temperate plants require vernalization, a prolonged low-temperature period, to accelerate flowering. Vernalization is a quantitative process whereby extended cold exposure establishes a stable transcriptional repression, with the degree of silencing correlating with the length of cold...

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Main Authors: Zhicheng Zhang, Xu Cai, Jianli Liang, Jiahe Liu, Jing Guo, Wencai Yang, Xiaowu Wang, Jian Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-05-01
Series:Cell Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124725004966
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author Zhicheng Zhang
Xu Cai
Jianli Liang
Jiahe Liu
Jing Guo
Wencai Yang
Xiaowu Wang
Jian Wu
author_facet Zhicheng Zhang
Xu Cai
Jianli Liang
Jiahe Liu
Jing Guo
Wencai Yang
Xiaowu Wang
Jian Wu
author_sort Zhicheng Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Summary: Many temperate plants require vernalization, a prolonged low-temperature period, to accelerate flowering. Vernalization is a quantitative process whereby extended cold exposure establishes a stable transcriptional repression, with the degree of silencing correlating with the length of cold treatment. While much is known about the genes regulating this process, the expression dynamics at the single-cell level remain elusive. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we analyze the vernalization response in Brassica rapa. Our data show that mesophyll cells exhibit the most significant changes in gene expression at low temperatures, whereas vasculature exhibits higher expression levels of flowering-related genes. Mesophyll trajectory analyses suggest that B. rapa plants undergo a biphasic response to chill stress during vernalization. Tissue-wide BrFLC expression changes result from variations in the proportion of expressing cells, supporting the quantitative nature of vernalization through digital cell responses. This study provides valuable resources and insights into the spatiotemporal regulation of flowering during vernalization.
format Article
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institution Kabale University
issn 2211-1247
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Cell Reports
spelling doaj-art-7dc8b29a72ce4af19d24649377ae86c22025-08-20T03:49:41ZengElsevierCell Reports2211-12472025-05-0144511572510.1016/j.celrep.2025.115725Time-resolved single-cell atlas identifies the spatiotemporal transcription dynamics in vernalization response in Brassica rapaZhicheng Zhang0Xu Cai1Jianli Liang2Jiahe Liu3Jing Guo4Wencai Yang5Xiaowu Wang6Jian Wu7State Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Beijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, Department of Vegetable Sciences, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Growth and Developmental Regulation for Protected Vegetable Crops, Department of Vegetable Sciences, College of Horticulture, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Corresponding authorState Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Corresponding authorSummary: Many temperate plants require vernalization, a prolonged low-temperature period, to accelerate flowering. Vernalization is a quantitative process whereby extended cold exposure establishes a stable transcriptional repression, with the degree of silencing correlating with the length of cold treatment. While much is known about the genes regulating this process, the expression dynamics at the single-cell level remain elusive. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, we analyze the vernalization response in Brassica rapa. Our data show that mesophyll cells exhibit the most significant changes in gene expression at low temperatures, whereas vasculature exhibits higher expression levels of flowering-related genes. Mesophyll trajectory analyses suggest that B. rapa plants undergo a biphasic response to chill stress during vernalization. Tissue-wide BrFLC expression changes result from variations in the proportion of expressing cells, supporting the quantitative nature of vernalization through digital cell responses. This study provides valuable resources and insights into the spatiotemporal regulation of flowering during vernalization.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124725004966CP: Plants
spellingShingle Zhicheng Zhang
Xu Cai
Jianli Liang
Jiahe Liu
Jing Guo
Wencai Yang
Xiaowu Wang
Jian Wu
Time-resolved single-cell atlas identifies the spatiotemporal transcription dynamics in vernalization response in Brassica rapa
Cell Reports
CP: Plants
title Time-resolved single-cell atlas identifies the spatiotemporal transcription dynamics in vernalization response in Brassica rapa
title_full Time-resolved single-cell atlas identifies the spatiotemporal transcription dynamics in vernalization response in Brassica rapa
title_fullStr Time-resolved single-cell atlas identifies the spatiotemporal transcription dynamics in vernalization response in Brassica rapa
title_full_unstemmed Time-resolved single-cell atlas identifies the spatiotemporal transcription dynamics in vernalization response in Brassica rapa
title_short Time-resolved single-cell atlas identifies the spatiotemporal transcription dynamics in vernalization response in Brassica rapa
title_sort time resolved single cell atlas identifies the spatiotemporal transcription dynamics in vernalization response in brassica rapa
topic CP: Plants
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124725004966
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