Construction of a single-cell transcriptome atlas for Pogostemon cablin embryoids reveals PcNAC048 as a dual regulator coordinating lateral root morphogenesis and patchouli alcohol biosynthesis

We have employed a single cell sequencing approach using 10x Genomics scRNAseq to study the single-cell atlas of Pogostemon cablin globular somatic embryos (GSE) and cotyledonary somatic embryos (CSE). Pseudo-time analysis reconstructed the continuous differentiation trajectory of apical meristem cells and epidermal cells. Further research identified PcNAC048 as a potential transcription factor regulating embryonic cell differentiation, which promotes lateral root development and negatively regulates the biosynthesis of patchouli alcohol. Overall, this study provides theoretical support for the development of Pogostemon cablin germplasm resources and the regulation of medicinal compounds. Overall design: Protoplasts of globular somatic embryos (GSE) and cotyledonic somatic embryos (CSE) in P. cablin were isolated by enzymatic hydrolysis and analyzed using ScRNA-seq