Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.6
2.5
Journals
Forests
Special Issues
Forest Tree Breeding: Genomics and Molecular Biology
share announcement

Forest Tree Breeding: Genomics and Molecular Biology

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Genetics and Molecular Biology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 1326

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Zefu Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Interests: genomics; genome evolution; forest tree genomics; conservation genetics
Prof. Dr. Yuanzhong Jiang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory for Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, China
Interests: abiotic stress; molecular biology; tree breeding; gene regulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Changwei Bi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
Interests: plant genomics; bioinformatics; mitochondrial genome; comparative analysis; evolution; genetics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The field of forest tree breeding possesses a long history, dating back to ancient times when people cultivated tree species through natural and/or artificial selection. During its extensive history, innovative methods and techniques have frequently played a crucial role in the advancement of forest tree breeding. Techniques in genomics and molecular biology have greatly accelerated the progress of forest tree breeding, guiding it into the era of Breeding 3.0. Rapidly developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology, represented by genome selection methods, has further propelled forest tree breeding into the 4.0 era. In this Special Issue, we invite studies discussing the latest research on forest tree breeding, conducted through genomics and molecular biology approaches, as well as other related fields.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Genetic resources of forest trees (including genome evolution);
  • Genomic selection in forest tree breeding;
  • Characterization of gene functions in forest trees;
  • Novel methods in genomics and molecular biology for forest tree breeding.

Prof. Dr. Zefu Wang
Prof. Dr. Yuanzhong Jiang
Dr. Changwei Bi
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. Forests 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

  • forest tree
  • genomics
  • molecular biology
  • breeding
  • genome evolution
  • gene function

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 11894 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of AP2/ERF Transcription Factor Genes in Prunus armeniaca L.
by Yanguang He, Lin Wang, Nan Jiang, Donglin Zhang, Xiaodan Shi, Tana Wuyun and Huimin Liu
Forests 2025, 16(8), 1353; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16081353 - 20 Aug 2025
Viewed by 245
Abstract
The APETALA2/Ethylene Responsive Factor (AP2/ERF transcription factor) family plays pivotal roles in plant growth, stress responses, and metabolic regulation. Here, we identified 118 AP2/ERF family members in the apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) genome, which were classified into four major subfamilies (AP2, DREB, [...] Read more.
The APETALA2/Ethylene Responsive Factor (AP2/ERF transcription factor) family plays pivotal roles in plant growth, stress responses, and metabolic regulation. Here, we identified 118 AP2/ERF family members in the apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) genome, which were classified into four major subfamilies (AP2, DREB, ERF, and RAV) and Soloists (few unclassified factors), through phylogenetic analysis. The ERF subfamily exhibited the largest expansion (55 members), driven predominantly by 10 tandem and 14 segmental duplication events. Gene structures and conserved motifs exhibited similar patterns within each subfamily. Chromosomal distribution was uneven, with chromosome 1 harboring the highest gene density. PaWRI1 was specifically expressed in apricot kernel and positively correlated with oil accumulation. A total of 47 lipid-related genes were predicted as potential targets of PaWRI1 through correlation analysis, which covers the entire three-stage process of plant oil synthesis. These results advance our understanding of how core AP2/ERF transcription factors modulate oil accumulation pathways in apricot, offering potential targets for metabolic engineering. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Tree Breeding: Genomics and Molecular Biology)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 5560 KB  
Article
Integrated Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Albinism in Schima superba Seedlings
by Jie Jia, Mengdi Chen, Yuanheng Feng, Zhangqi Yang and Peidong Yan
Forests 2025, 16(8), 1201; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16081201 - 22 Jul 2025
Viewed by 307
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to reveal the molecular mechanism of the albinism in Schima superba and to identify the related functional genes to provide theoretical support for the optimization of S. superba seedling nursery technology. Combining third-generation SMRT sequencing with [...] Read more.
The main objective of this study was to reveal the molecular mechanism of the albinism in Schima superba and to identify the related functional genes to provide theoretical support for the optimization of S. superba seedling nursery technology. Combining third-generation SMRT sequencing with second-generation high-throughput sequencing technology, the transcriptomes of normal seedlings and albinism seedlings of S. superba were analyzed and the sequencing data were functionally annotated and deeply resolved. The results showed that 270 differentially expressed transcripts were screened by analyzing second-generation sequencing data. KEGG enrichment analysis of the annotation information revealed that, among the photosynthesis-antenna protein-related pathways, the expression of LHCA3 and LHCB6 was found to be down-regulated in S. superba albinism seedlings, suggesting that the down-regulation of photosynthesis-related proteins may affect the development of chloroplasts in leaves. Down-regulated expression of VDE in the carotenoid biosynthesis leads to impaired chlorophyll cycling. In addition, transcription factors (TFs), such as bHLH, MYB, GLK and NAC, were closely associated with chloroplast development in S. superba seedlings. In summary, the present study systematically explored the transcriptomic features of S. superba albinism seedlings, screened out key genes with significant differential expression and provide a reference for further localization and cloning of the key genes for S. superba albinism, in addition to laying an essential theoretical foundation for an in-depth understanding of the molecular mechanism of the S. superba albinism. The genes identified in this study that are associated with S. superba albinism will be important targets for genetic modification or molecular marker development, which is essential for improving the cultivation efficiency of S. superba. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Tree Breeding: Genomics and Molecular Biology)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 6825 KB  
Article
Phylogenomics and Floristic Origin of Endiandra R.Br (Lauraceae) from New Caledonia
by Jiayi Song, Chengyan Shao, Zhi Yang and Yong Yang
Forests 2025, 16(4), 705; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16040705 - 20 Apr 2025
Viewed by 363
Abstract
New Caledonia is a biodiversity hotspot with flora closely related to that of Australia and has received considerable attention. Endiandra (Cryptocaryeae; Lauraceae) is distributed from tropical Asia to Oceania, including New Caledonia, with northeastern Australia and New Guinea as diversity centers, but the [...] Read more.
New Caledonia is a biodiversity hotspot with flora closely related to that of Australia and has received considerable attention. Endiandra (Cryptocaryeae; Lauraceae) is distributed from tropical Asia to Oceania, including New Caledonia, with northeastern Australia and New Guinea as diversity centers, but the genus in New Caledonia remains understudied. Here, four species of Endiandra native to New Caledonia were sequenced, and their complete plastome sequences were analyzed. A plastome-based phylogenomic tree of Cryptocaryeae was reconstructed, and divergence times were estimated. The phylogenomic tree supports the monophyly of Endiandra. Interestingly, the species of Endiandra from New Caledonia were grouped into two separate subclades, with one subclade including three species and the other subclade containing only one species. The stem and crown ages of the first subclade were 33.18 Ma and 14.5 Ma, respectively, and the second subclade diverged by approximately 10.36 Ma. The structural characteristics of the newly sequenced plastomes were compared with those of Beilschmiedia species from different continents. The results indicate that the plastome sequences of the four species of Endiandra are longer than those of Beilschmiedia. Additionally, Endiandra has more simple sequence repeats (SSRs) than Beilschmiedia, though the difference is slight. The Guanine-Cytosine (GC) content of Endiandra was lower than that of Beilschmiedia. Five highly variable regions were identified, including matK-rps16, ycf1, petA-psbJ, petN-psbM, and ndhF. The Endiandra species in New Caledonia originated through long-distance dispersal followed by local divergence, rather than vicariance. Additionally, we identified at least two instances of floristic exchange between New Caledonia and Australia. Our study provides further evidence for understanding the biogeographic history between these two regions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Tree Breeding: Genomics and Molecular Biology)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop