Spatial transcriptomics uncover coordinated cellular responses to heat stress in developing wheat grains

Spatial transcriptomics uncover coordinated cellular responses to heat stress in developing wheat grains | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Spatial transcriptomics uncover coordinated cellular responses to heat stress in developing wheat grains JIRUI WANG, Yuxin Fu, Xiaojiang Guo, MengPing Cheng, HUIGEN LI, and 17 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4253930/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The grain-filling stage is highly sensitive to heat, impacting wheat yield and quality. This study uncovered Chuanmai104's grain spatial transcriptome atlas under heat stress, identifying over 120 specifically expressed genes crucial for cell sorting and subsequent spatial sequencing across twelve cell types. The cell differentiation trajectory of endosperm indicated high expression of genes for cell development and programmed cell death at early stages, and the subsequent expressed genes enable grains accumulate nutrients. At 15 DAP, recovery grains under heat stress showed significant gene expression changes, especially in the nucellar projection, endosperm near the scutellum, and embryo. Heat stress reduced starch and ABA synthesis gene expression, shortening grain-filling time, reducing grain weight by 28.9%, and raising germination rates from 7.9% to 52.0%. Spatial transcriptomics revealed unexpected shifts in the major expression domains for 189 genes due to heat stress, featuring three major spatial shifts: AL-SCU, ENC-PR, and EXC-NP. Biological sciences/Plant sciences/Plant development/Plant embryogenesis Biological sciences/Plant sciences/Plant molecular biology Spatial transcriptomics Grain filling Heat stress Cell-type Grain size Seed germination Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files supplementarytable1.xlsx supplementarytable2.xlsx supplementarytable3.xlsx supplementarytable4.xlsx supplementarytable5.xls supplementarytable6.xlsx supplementarytable7.xlsx supplementarytable8.xlsx supplementarytable9.xlsx supplementarytable10.xlsx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4253930","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":299954920,"identity":"e58e1fbe-d6c9-4d91-9d98-89099cd98110","order_by":0,"name":"JIRUI 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