Single-cell genomics, particularly single-cell transcriptome profiling by RNA sequencing have transformed the possibilities to relate genes to functions, structures, and eventually phenotypes. We can now observe changes in each cell's transcriptome and among its neighborhoods, interrogate the sequence of transcriptional events, and assess their influence on subsequent events. This paradigm shift in biology enables us to infer causal relationships in these events with high accuracy. Here we review the latest single-cell studies in plants that uncover how cellular phenotypes emerge as a result of the transcriptome process such as waves of expression, trajectories of development and responses to the environment, and spatial information. With an eye on the advances made in animal and human studies, we further highlight some of the needed areas for future research and development, including computational methods.

单细胞基因组学，特别是通过 RNA 测序进行的单细胞转录组分析已经改变了将基因与功能、结构和最终表型联系起来的可能性。我们现在可以观察每个细胞转录组及其邻域之间的变化，询问转录事件的序列，并评估它们对后续事件的影响。生物学的这种范式转变使我们能够以高精度推断这些事件中的因果关系。在这里，我们回顾了植物中最新的单细胞研究，这些研究揭示了细胞表型如何作为转录组过程的结果出现，例如表达波、发育轨迹和对环境的反应以及空间信息。着眼于动物和人类研究取得的进展，