Fig. 2: Advantages of using single-cell RNA-seq to study plant-pathogen interactions.
From: Plant single-cell solutions for energy and the environment
Relatively few plant cells interact directly with most pathogens. However, these local interactions often determine disease severity. Thus, understanding gene expression in these few cells could be valuable for enhancing resistance. Unfortunately, bulk tissue RNA-seq greatly dilutes the signal from interacting cells, and signals from genes upregulated throughout the leaf in response to pathogens can mask expression changes in the interacting cells. While methods like microdissection can improve the signal-to-noise ratio to a degree, they are labor-intensive and not universally applicable to all pathogens. Thus, the increased cellular resolution promised by single-cell RNA-seq could revolutionize our understanding of plant-microbe interactions.
