Towards a hierarchical gene regulatory network underlying somatic embryogenesis

Genome-editing technologies have advanced in recent years but designing future crops remains limited by current methods of improving somatic embryo -genesis (SE) capacity. In this Opinion, we provide an update on the molecular event by which the phytohormone auxin promotes the acquisition of plant cell to-tipotency through evoking massive changes in transcriptome and chromatin ac-cessibility. We propose that the chromatin states and individual totipotency-related transcription factors (TFs) from disparate gene families organize into a hi-erarchical gene regulatory network underlying SE. We conclude with a discus-sion of the practical paths to probe the cellular origin of the somatic embryo and the epigenetic landscape of the totipotent cell state in the era of single-cell genomics.

Automated summary

This paper provides an update on the molecular mechanism of how the phytohormone auxin promotes cell totipotency and proposes a gene regulatory network model underlying somatic embryo-genesis. It also discusses the practical approaches to explore the totipotent cell state in the era of single-cell genomics.