Single-cell multi-omic characterization of the soybean root response to cyst nematode infection

Abstract

Soybean cyst nematodes parasitize soybean roots by inducing the formation of multinucleate syncytia to feed and complete their life cycle. However, the molecular basis of syncytia initiation and development remains limited. Here, we generated an integrated single-nucleus RNA and chromatin accessibility profile of soybean roots from infected and uninfected plants. We profiled 56,448 high-quality nuclei and identified all major root cell types, including distinct subpopulations enriched with syncytial nuclei. Transcriptomic and chromatin accessibility analyses support their procambium cell signature that progresses through distinct stages associated with immune suppression, cell fusion, and endoreduplication. Integrative gene expression and transcription factor motif chromatin accessibility analyses identified CAMTA1, as a potential transcriptional repressor of defense-related genes including receptor-like kinases, whereas MYB, MYB-related, and E2F were identified as potential transcriptional activators that coordinate cell wall remodeling, chromatin modification and DNA replication, respectively, across developmental trajectories. These findings provide mechanistic insights into host reprogramming during nematode parasitism and serve as a foundational resource for engineering nematode-resistant soybean.