Mapping plant cell-type-specific responses to environmental stresses.

Abstract

Plants constantly encounter diverse biotic and abiotic stresses that threaten their survival and productivity. With climate change intensifying the severity of these stressors, a deeper understanding of plant responses at the cellular level has become increasingly urgent. Traditional bulk RNA sequencing provides insights but masks critical cell-type-specific heterogeneity and fails to capture dynamic cellular responses. This review highlights recent advances in single-cell/nucleus RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, enabling high-resolution mapping of transcriptional programs across distinct cell types in response to pathogen attack or abiotic stress. We also discuss key technical challenges in applying these methods to plants. By bridging gaps within spatial, temporal, and cell-type-specific dimensions of plant stress biology, this review advocates expanding single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to accelerate climate-smart agricultural strategies.