Cactaceae Genetics and Genomics

Dear Colleagues,

The succulent plants within the Cactaceae family offer an appealing model system to study the evolutionary processes driving adaptation, diversification, and persistence in arid landscapes. In the face of the accelerated desertification expansion associated with anthropogenic global warming, understanding these evolutionary processes as well as their resulting patterns offers the opportunity to improve our ability to predict the landscape’s responses to future climate changes. The cacti comprise more than 1400 species and are among the most conspicuous members of arid and semiarid landscapes in the Neotropical region. Many of these species are under extreme threat of extinction. The adaptations in the morphological, anatomical, and physiological traits acquired by members of this family in response to drought-stress selective pressure represent the most remarkable modifications observed in the plant kingdom. These evolutionary changes were then followed by intense diversification, generating an array of spectacular growth forms.

In this Special Issue, “Cactaceae Genetics and Genomics”, we aim to gather and advance the knowledge on the evolutionary genetics of cacti. We invite researchers to contribute their novel findings in the form of high-quality original research and reviews. We welcome submissions covering all aspects of the evolutionary genetics of cacti, from population-level processes to phylogenetic relationships, and using all available molecular tools, from classical molecular markers to genome and transcriptome data.

Dr. Evandro Marsola de Moraes
Dr. Fernando Faria Franco
Dr. Pablo C. Guerrero
Dr. Tania Hernández
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.