Developmental trajectories of giant cells induced by Meloidogyne incognita in tomato determined by single-nucleus RNA-sequencing

Authors: ZADEGAN, SOBHAN - University Of Tennessee; LI, PEITONG - University Of Tennessee; SULTANA, MST - University Of Tennessee; ABBAS, HAFIZ - University Of Tennessee; COFFEY, NICOLE - University Of Tennessee; OZTURK, CENGIZHAN - University Of Tennessee; ELWASIF, MARIAM - University Of Tennessee; RICE, HOLLIS - University Of Tennessee; Krishnan, Hari; HEWEZI, TAREK - University Of Tennessee

Submitted to: Horticulture Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/13/2025
Publication Date: 8/22/2025
Citation: Zadegan, S.B., Li, P., Sultana, M.S., Abbas, H.M., Coffey, N., Ozturk, C., Elwasif, M., Rice, H., Krishnan, H.B., Hewezi, T. 2025. Developmental trajectories of giant cells induced by Meloidogyne incognita in tomato determined by single-nucleus RNA-sequencing. Horticulture Research. 12(11). https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhaf223.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/hr/uhaf223

Interpretive Summary: Root knot nematodes are harmful parasites that attach to the roots of over 2,000 different plant species, including important crops like soybeans, cotton and tomatoes. These parasites cause the roots to form abnormal, knot-like growths called galls, which lead to major crop damage and loss. Recent studies have shed some light on how these galls form at a molecular level. However, there is still limited knowledge about how the genes involved in gall formation are regulated on a single-cell level. In this study, we have analyzed RNA data from the galls and nearby root tissues of tomato plants at two different stages of nematode infection. Through this analysis, we have identified 772 specific genes that are active in the giant cells created by the nematodes. These identified genes could be used as targets for developing genetically resistant crops. Our study provides a promising new approach to addressing a long-standing agricultural challenge and aims to help US farmers minimize crop losses from these insidious parasites.

Technical Abstract: Plant-parasitic root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne species) are highly polyphagous parasites that alter cellular identity of terminally differentiated root cells to induce the formation of giant cells and knot-like structures known as galls, whose ontogeny remains largely unknown. In this study, we generated single-nucleus RNA-seq data of galls and neighboring root tissues at two distinct stages of Meloidogyne incognita infection of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants. Analysis of 35'393 high-quality nuclei resulted in the identification of three stele-associated cell clusters that captured young and more differentiated giant cells, where 772 genes were preferentially expressed. Giant cell-specific expression patterns of a set of these genes were validated using promoter activity assays. We used pseudotime analysis to trace how gene activity changes as giant cells develop. Developmental trajectory analysis revealed a gradual activation of more complex gene regulatory networks as young giant cells adopt specific fates and become more differentiated. Functional assays using gene silencing confirmed the functional importance of giant cell-expressed genes in mediating plant susceptibility to M. incognita. Cell type-specific gene expression analysis revealed that xylem, phloem, stele, endodermal, and protophloem cells undergo extensive transcriptome reprograming, which facilitates coordinated cellular responses to nematode infection, including immune signaling, structural support, and metabolic adjustments. Together, our analyses represent the first single-nucleus transcriptomic map of nematode-induced giant cells and provide novel insights into the molecular events leading to the formation of a new plant organ and feeding cells orchestrated by an animal parasite.