# Single-cell transcriptomics reveals cellular and genetic mechanisms of alpine adaptation in Rosa sericea

## TL;DR

This study uses single-cell RNA sequencing to uncover how Rosa sericea adapts to high-altitude environments at the cellular and genetic levels.

## Contribution

The first single-cell transcriptional atlas of Rosa sericea leaves, revealing adaptive mechanisms to alpine conditions.

## Key findings

- A developmental continuum from cell proliferation to photosynthetic maturation was identified in R. sericea leaves.
- Transcriptionally active genes in epidermal cells suggest roles in chloroplast function and copper homeostasis for high-altitude adaptation.
- A regulatory module involving RO6G37307, TTG2, and TCP4 is linked to trichome development in alpine adaptation.

## Abstract

Plant development is shaped by environmental conditions, and its adaptation to climate change is crucial for biodiversity conservation. The extreme climate of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau makes it an ideal system for studying plant adaptive strategies. Rosa sericea, a dominant alpine shrub, exhibits remarkable morphological plasticity, but its molecular and cellular adaptation mechanisms are still unclear. In this study, we integrated single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) with high-dimensional weighted gene co-expression network analysis (hdWGCNA), gene ontology (GO) enrichment, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), pseudotime trajectory inference, and gene overexpression techniques to profile 31,796 cells from R. sericea leaves.

We constructed a draft single-cell transcriptional atlas with putative annotation of 11 leaf cell types and identified eight co-expression gene modules linked to key cell types.

The leaf development spatiotemporal dynamics uncovered a developmental continuum from cell proliferation to photosynthetically specialized maturation. Furthermore, we identified several developmental and physiological features potentially associated with high-altitude adaptation, including presence of transcriptionally active nuclear-encoded genes involved in chloroplast function in epidermal pavement cells, the potential role of SPL7-mediated copper homeostasis, and a putative RO6G37307–TTG2–TCP4 regulatory module associated with trichome development.

Together, this study provides the first single-cell–resolved transcriptional framework for R. sericea leaves and suggests adaptive developmental mechanisms at the cellular and genetic levels, enhancing our understanding of how alpine plants respond to climate change.