PRIMER state of plant cells

This research article uses single-cell multiomics and spatial transcriptomics to map the cellular landscape of plant immunity in Arabidopsis thaliana leaves infected with bacterial pathogens. The study identifies novel immune cell states, including a rare "PRIMER" cell population crucial for initiating immune responses and surrounding "bystander" cells mediating long-distance signaling. Gene regulatory mechanisms involving transcription factors and chromatin accessibility are explored, revealing cell-type-specific responses. The results are integrated with spatial transcriptomic data to visualize the spatiotemporal dynamics of plant immunity, leading to the discovery of a previously uncharacterized transcription factor, GT-3A, that negatively regulates plant immunity. A publicly available database is provided for further exploration. Source: Nobori, T., Monell, A., Lee, T.A. et al. A rare PRIMER cell state in plant immunity. Nature (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08383-z