Advances in single-cell metabolomics to unravel cellular heterogeneity in plant biology

Abstract

Single-cell metabolomics is a powerful tool that can reveal cellular heterogeneity and can elucidate the mechanisms of biological phenomena in detail. It is a promising approach in studying plants, especially when cellular heterogeneity has an impact on different biological processes. In addition, metabolomics, which can be regarded as a detailed phenotypic analysis, is expected to answer previously unrequited questions which will lead to expansion of crop production, increased understanding of resistance to diseases, and in other applications as well. In this review, we will introduce the flow of sample acquisition and single-cell techniques to facilitate the adoption of single-cell metabolomics. Furthermore, the applications of single-cell metabolomics will be summarized and reviewed.

Figure.

Illustration of integrating a microcapillary single-cell (SC) sampling method to droplet microfluidics for SC metabolomics studies. A) Illustration of a platform for droplet microfluidic sorting of encapsulated protoplasts based on the genetic expression of a fluorescent protein. B) and C) Top and side view of the Nanospray ESI source to incorporate microfluidic chip. (Figures are adapted from Yu et al. 2018; Kempa et al. 2020, and created with BioRender.com, accessed on FX2509SD0O, February 13, 2023.)