Hongpeng Wang , Shiying Yu

Biotechnology Research Center, Cuixi Academy of Biotechnology, Zhuji, 311800, China
Author    Correspondence author
Rice Genomics and Genetics, 2025, Vol. 16, No. 6   
Received: 05 Sep., 2025    Accepted: 22 Oct., 2025    Published: 28 Dec., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Rice anther development is a crucial determinant of male fertility and overall grain yield, yet it is particularly sensitive to elevated temperatures that threaten global rice productivity. This study constructed a comprehensive single-cell atlas of rice anther development under heat stress, integrating single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and multi-omics analyses to reveal cell type-specific responses to thermal conditions. The results demonstrate that heat stress disrupts tapetal function, alters pollen fertility, and reprograms transcriptomic profiles across key somatic and germline layers, with pronounced effects on reactive oxygen species signaling, hormone pathways, and programmed cell death regulation. Through a detailed case study of the tapetum, this study identified transcriptional networks and resilience mechanisms contributing to thermal tolerance at the cellular level. This work provides a high-resolution framework for understanding the molecular and cellular bases of heat-induced reproductive failure in rice and offers valuable genetic markers and targets for breeding heat-resilient varieties, paving the way for precision breeding under changing climatic conditions.

Rice anther development; Heat stress; Single-cell RNA sequencing; Tapetal cell resilience; Precision breeding