Single-cell transcriptomic datasets of the amphibious plant Water wisteria.

Global climate changes cause severe floods that hinder plant development and breeding. The phenomenon in which a single plant can significantly alter its leaf shape structure and physiology based on surrounding environments is known as heterophylly, a trait commonly observed in amphibious plants. Heterophylly is a special survival strategy that enables adaptation to both submerged and terrestrial conditions, aiding in response to environmental changes. Molecular mechanisms of heterophylly are not well understood due to a lack of models. Hygrophila difformis, also known as Water wisteria, shows typical heterophylly in terrestrial and submerged environments, and is an emerging model plant to explore heterophylly. In this study, we conducted single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis of isolated protoplasts from both terrestrial and submerged shoots of H. difformis to obtain data on the gene expression patterns of tissue-specific cells. These scRNA-seq data enabled the identification of gene expression patterns by cell types, providing a foundation to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of heterophylly and plant environmental adaptations at a single-cell level.