15th Anniversary of Genes: Feature Papers in the “Cytogenomics” Section

A special issue of Genes (ISSN 2073-4425). This special issue belongs to the section "Cytogenomics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 694

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Experimental Biology, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Interests: amphibian; sex determination; sex chromosomes; gonad development; gonadal differentiation; sex reversal; meiosis; polyploidy in vertebrates; repetitive DNA; cytogenetics
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue celebrates two key milestones—the 15th anniversary of Genes and the 10th anniversary of the journal receiving its first Impact Factor. In honor of these achievements, we invite high-quality research articles, reviews, and communications that highlight cutting-edge advances in the field of cytogenomics and cytogenetics.

Cytogenomics has undergone a transformative evolution in the past decade. This Special Issue seeks to capture these advancements; by addressing both fundamental questions and translational challenges, we aim to foster a dialogue on how cytogenomics can shape the future of personalized medicine, evolutionary biology, and genome engineering. Our goal is to highlight the latest breakthroughs in the field, featuring contributions from Editorial Board Members of the ‘Cytogenomics’ Section, as well as leading experts. By compiling innovative research, we aim to reinforce the Section’s role as a premier open access platform for disseminating high-impact cytogenomics studies.

We encourage submissions that reflect the dynamism and progress of this rapidly evolving field, offering insights into both fundamental discoveries and translational applications.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Banding and molecular cytogenetics;
  • Next-generation sequencing applications;
  • Epigenetic approaches in cytogenomics; 
  • Optical mapping and karyomapping;
  • CRISPR-Cas9 and gene editing in cytogenomics;
  • Evolutionary cytogenomics. 

Dr. Monica Bullejos
Guest Editor

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

  • molecular cytogenetics
  • cytogenomics
  • microarray
  • chromosome biology
  • karyotyping
  • high-throughput cytogenetics
  • genome organization
  • comparative genomics
  • karyomapping
  • optical mapping

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

26 pages, 1443 KB  
Review
Avian Cytogenomics: Small Chromosomes, Long Evolutionary History
by Darren K. Griffin, Rafael Kretschmer, Denis M. Larkin, Kornsorn Srikulnath, Worapong Singchat, Valeriy G. Narushin, Rebecca E. O’Connor and Michael N. Romanov
Genes 2025, 16(9), 1001; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes16091001 - 25 Aug 2025
Viewed by 531
Abstract
This review considers fundamental issues related to the genomics of birds (Aves), including the special organization and evolution of their chromosomes. In particular, we address the capabilities of molecular genetic/genomic approaches to clarify aspects of their evolutionary history, including how they have adapted [...] Read more.
This review considers fundamental issues related to the genomics of birds (Aves), including the special organization and evolution of their chromosomes. In particular, we address the capabilities of molecular genetic/genomic approaches to clarify aspects of their evolutionary history, including how they have adapted to multiple habitats. We contemplate general genomic organization, including the small size and typical number of micro/macrochromosomes. We discuss recent genome sequencing efforts and how this relates to cytogenomic studies. We consider the emergence of this unique organization ~245 million years ago, examining examples where the “norm” is not followed. We address the functional role of synteny disruptions, centromere repositioning, repetitive elements, evolutionary breakpoints, synteny blocks and the role of the unique ZW sex chromosome system. By analyzing the cytogenetic maps and chromosomal rearrangements of eight species, the possibility of successfully applying modern genomic methods/technologies to identify general and specific features of genomic organization and an in-depth understanding of the fundamental patterns of the evolution of avian genomes are demonstrated. An interpretation of the observed genomic “variadicity” and specific chromosomal rearrangements is subsequently proposed. We also present a mathematical assessment of cross-species bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) hybridization during genomic mapping in the white-throated sparrow, a species considered a key model of avian behavior. Building on model species (e.g., chicken), avian cytogenomics now encompasses hundreds of genomes across nearly all families, revealing remarkable genomic conservation with many dynamic aspects. Combining classical cytogenetics, high-throughput sequencing and emerging technologies provides increasingly detailed insights into the structure, function and evolutionary organization of these remarkable genomes. Full article
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