Techniques of cell type-specific transcriptome analysis and applications in researches of sexual plant reproduction

Abstract

In higher plants, specific cell differentiation and fate decision are controlled by differential gene expression. Cell type-specific transcriptome analysis has become an important tool for investigating cell regulatory mechanisms. In recent years, many different techniques have been developed for the isolation of specific cells and the subsequent transcriptome analysis, and considerable data are available regarding the transcriptional profiles of some specific cells. These cell type-specific transcriptome analyses hold significant promise for elucidating the gene expression linked to cellular identities and functions, and are extraordinarily important for research in functional genomics and systems biology aimed toward basic understanding of molecular networks and pathway interactions. Moreover, to reveal the critical mechanisms about sexual plant reproduction, the gamete and embryo cells have long been treated as good subjects for cell-specific transcriptome analysis, and there has been important progress in recent decades. In this review, we summarize current technologies in cell type-specific transcriptome analysis and review the applications of these technologies in research into the mechanisms of sexual reproduction in higher plants.