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Plant Specialized Metabolism: From Genetics to Phenotype
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Plant Specialized Metabolism: From Genetics to Phenotype

A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics and Genomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2021) | Viewed by 10195

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Tomas Laursen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dynamic Metabolons Research Group, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: specialized metabolism; metabolic channeling; dynamic metabolons; flavonoids; cyanogenic glucosides
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Bruna Marques dos Santos

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Center for Synthetic Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, 1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
Interests: specialized metabolism; ecophysiology; proteomics; metabolomics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant specialized metabolism has gained increasing interest due to the impressive chemical diversity that has evolved as a consequence of the adaptation to environmental challenges. This chemical diversity has enabled plants to combat a broad range of pests, protect their cells against UV radiation, attract specialized pollinators, and make contact with symbiotic microorganisms. However, in order to fully appreciate this chemical landscape and their biological functions, we need to expand our understanding of how their biosynthesis is regulated at multiple levels. Within recent years, omics technologies has become available and affordable, which has prompted coherent studies combining genetics, metabolite, proteome, and phenotype data. Correlation analysis of such studies provide invaluable links from gene to function. This Special Issue will present recent advances on different omics analysis focusing on plant specialized metabolism with a key focus on translation of genetic information to phenotypic traits.

We welcome original research and reviews related to plant specialized metabolism, including the following topics:

The focus will be on:

  • Advances in omics technologies applied to study plant specialized metabolism
  • Genetic control of specialized metabolism
  • Plasticity of plant specialized metabolism
  • Biosynthesis of specialized metabolites
  • The ecophysiological role of specialized metabolites
  • Increasing the chemical diversity: new specialized metabolites and their properties
  • Biotechnology: specialized metabolism engineering in heterologous hosts

Dr. Tomas Laursen
Dr. Bruna Marques dos Santos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Genes is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • specialized metabolism
  • plants
  • genetics
  • metabolites
  • proteomes
  • phenotypes

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 1936 KiB  
Article
Cyanogenesis in the Sorghum Genus: From Genotype to Phenotype
by Max Cowan, Birger Lindberg Møller, Sally Norton, Camilla Knudsen, Christoph Crocoll, Agnelo Furtado, Robert Henry, Cecilia Blomstedt and Roslyn M. Gleadow
Genes 2022, 13(1), 140; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/genes13010140 - 14 Jan 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2869
Abstract
Domestication has resulted in a loss of genetic diversity in our major food crops, leading to susceptibility to biotic and abiotic stresses linked with climate change. Crop wild relatives (CWR) may provide a source of novel genes potentially important for re-gaining climate resilience. [...] Read more.
Domestication has resulted in a loss of genetic diversity in our major food crops, leading to susceptibility to biotic and abiotic stresses linked with climate change. Crop wild relatives (CWR) may provide a source of novel genes potentially important for re-gaining climate resilience. Sorghum bicolor is an important cereal crop with wild relatives that are endemic to Australia. Sorghum bicolor is cyanogenic, but the cyanogenic status of wild Sorghum species is not well known. In this study, leaves of wild species endemic in Australia are screened for the presence of the cyanogenic glucoside dhurrin. The direct measurement of dhurrin content and the potential for dhurrin-derived HCN release (HCNp) showed that all the tested Australian wild species were essentially phenotypically acyanogenic. The unexpected low dhurrin content may reflect the variable and generally nutrient-poor environments in which they are growing in nature. Genome sequencing of six CWR and PCR amplification of the CYP79A1 gene from additional species showed that a high conservation of key amino acids is required for correct protein function and dhurrin synthesis, pointing to the transcriptional regulation of the cyanogenic phenotype in wild sorghum as previously shown in elite sorghum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Specialized Metabolism: From Genetics to Phenotype)
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20 pages, 5471 KiB  
Article
Functional Conservation and Divergence of Five AP1/FUL-like Genes in Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.)
by Chunling Zhang, Yalin Sun, Xiaomin Yu, Hang Li, Manzhu Bao and Yanhong He
Genes 2021, 12(12), 2011; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/genes12122011 - 17 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2258
Abstract
Members of AP1/FUL subfamily genes play an essential role in the regulation of floral meristem transition, floral organ identity, and fruit ripping. At present, there have been insufficient studies to explain the function of the AP1/FUL-like subfamily genes in Asteraceae. Here, we [...] Read more.
Members of AP1/FUL subfamily genes play an essential role in the regulation of floral meristem transition, floral organ identity, and fruit ripping. At present, there have been insufficient studies to explain the function of the AP1/FUL-like subfamily genes in Asteraceae. Here, we cloned two euAP1 clade genes TeAP1-1 and TeAP1-2, and three euFUL clade genes TeFUL1, TeFUL2, and TeFUL3 from marigold (Tagetes erecta L.). Expression profile analysis demonstrated that TeAP1-1 and TeAP1-2 were mainly expressed in receptacles, sepals, petals, and ovules. TeFUL1 and TeFUL3 were expressed in flower buds, stems, and leaves, as well as reproductive tissues, while TeFUL2 was mainly expressed in flower buds and vegetative tissues. Overexpression of TeAP1-2 or TeFUL2 in Arabidopsis resulted in early flowering, implying that these two genes might regulate the floral transition. Yeast two-hybrid analysis indicated that TeAP1/FUL proteins only interacted with TeSEP proteins to form heterodimers and that TeFUL2 could also form a homodimer. In general, TeAP1-1 and TeAP1-2 might play a conserved role in regulating sepal and petal identity, similar to the functions of MADS-box class A genes, while TeFUL genes might display divergent functions. This study provides a theoretical basis for the study of AP1/FUL-like genes in Asteraceae species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Specialized Metabolism: From Genetics to Phenotype)
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13 pages, 3599 KiB  
Article
Characterization of the Role of the Neoxanthin Synthase Gene BoaNXS in Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Chinese Kale
by Yue Jian, Chenlu Zhang, Yating Wang, Zhiqing Li, Jing Chen, Wenting Zhou, Wenli Huang, Min Jiang, Hao Zheng, Mengyao Li, Huiying Miao, Fen Zhang, Huanxiu Li, Qiaomei Wang and Bo Sun
Genes 2021, 12(8), 1122; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/genes12081122 - 24 Jul 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2416
Abstract
Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) is rich in carotenoids, and neoxanthin is one of the most important carotenoids in Chinese kale. In this study, the function of the neoxanthin synthase gene (BoaNXS) in Chinese kale was investigated. BoaNXS [...] Read more.
Chinese kale (Brassica oleracea var. alboglabra) is rich in carotenoids, and neoxanthin is one of the most important carotenoids in Chinese kale. In this study, the function of the neoxanthin synthase gene (BoaNXS) in Chinese kale was investigated. BoaNXS, which had a 699-bp coding sequence, was cloned from the white flower cultivar of Chinese kale and was expressed in all developmental stages and organs of Chinese kale; its expression was highest in young seeds. The subcellular localization indicated that BoaNXS was localized in the chloroplast. BoaNXS-overexpressed plants were obtained via Agrobacterium-mediated transient overexpression methodology, and the gene overexpression efficiencies ranged from 2.10- to 4.24-fold. The color in the leaves of BoaNXS-overexpressed plants changed from green to yellow-green; the content of total and individual carotenoids, such as neoxanthin, violaxanthin, and lutein, was significantly increased, and the expression levels of most carotenoid biosynthetic genes were notably increased. These findings indicated that BoaNXS is of vital importance in carotenoid biosynthesis in Chinese kale and could be used as a candidate gene for enriching the carotenoid accumulation and color of Chinese kale and other Brassica vegetables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Specialized Metabolism: From Genetics to Phenotype)
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18 pages, 19241 KiB  
Article
In Vitro Antiplatelet Activity of Mulberroside C through the Up-Regulation of Cyclic Nucleotide Signaling Pathways and Down-Regulation of Phosphoproteins
by Hyuk-Woo Kwon, Dong-Ha Lee, Man Hee Rhee and Jung-Hae Shin
Genes 2021, 12(7), 1024; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/genes12071024 - 30 Jun 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1506
Abstract
Physiological agonists trigger signaling cascades, called “inside-out signaling”, and activated platelets facilitate adhesion, shape change, granule release, and structural change of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (αIIb/β3). Activated αIIb/β3 interacts with fibrinogen and begins second signaling cascades called “outside-in signaling”. These two signaling pathways can lead [...] Read more.
Physiological agonists trigger signaling cascades, called “inside-out signaling”, and activated platelets facilitate adhesion, shape change, granule release, and structural change of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa (αIIb/β3). Activated αIIb/β3 interacts with fibrinogen and begins second signaling cascades called “outside-in signaling”. These two signaling pathways can lead to hemostasis or thrombosis. Thrombosis can occur in arterial and venous blood vessels and is a major medical problem. Platelet-mediated thrombosis is a major cause of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore, controlling platelet activity is important for platelet-mediated thrombosis and cardiovascular diseases. In this study, focus on Morus Alba Linn, a popular medicinal plant, to inhibit the function of platelets and found the containing component mulberroside C. We examine the effect of mulberroside C on the regulation of phosphoproteins, platelet-activating factors, and binding molecules. Agonist-induced human platelet aggregation is dose-dependently inhibited by mulberroside C without cytotoxicity, and it decreased Ca2+ mobilization and p-selectin expression through the upregulation of inositol 1, 4, 5-triphosphate receptor I (Ser1756), and downregulation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK). In addition, mulberroside C inhibited thromboxane A2 production, fibrinogen binding, and clot retraction. Our results show antiplatelet effects and antithrombus formation of mulberroside C in human platelets. Thus, we confirm that mulberroside C could be a potential phytochemical for the prevention of thrombosis-mediated CVDs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Specialized Metabolism: From Genetics to Phenotype)
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