Genetic Research on Crop Stress Resistance and Quality Traits

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 August 2025) | Viewed by 767

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Tobacco Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China
Interests: small peptides; leaf senescence; stress resistance
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Guest Editor
National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: exploration of key genes underlying wheat yield traits
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Developing crop varieties with combined stress resistance and superior quality traits has become a critical challenge for ensuring food security and sustainable agricultural development. The genetic improvement of stress resistance (e.g., drought tolerance, salinity tolerance, disease resistance) and quality traits (e.g., nutritional composition, processing characteristics, postharvest stability) holds significant importance for enhancing agricultural productivity, resource-use efficiency, and food nutritional value. Recent advancements in genomics, molecular marker technologies, and gene editing have provided novel tools for deciphering the molecular mechanisms underlying stress adaptation and quality formation in crops. However, challenges persist in integrating multi-omics data, precisely identifying key regulatory genes, and translating research findings into molecular design breeding strategies.

With global climate change and population growth posing significant threats to food security, improving crop resilience and quality traits has become a critical focus in agricultural research. Balancing stress resistance (e.g., drought, salinity, disease) with desirable quality traits (e.g., nutritional value, yield, processing properties) remains a major challenge in modern breeding programs. Recent breakthroughs in genomics, molecular biology, and gene editing have provided powerful tools to unravel the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying these traits. This Special Issue will gather cutting-edge research on the genetic basis of crop resilience and quality traits, exploring both trade-offs and synergistic solutions to advance sustainable agriculture. Contributions will cover topics such as genetic and epigenetic regulation, multi-omics approaches, molecular breeding strategies, and the development of stress-resilient, high-quality crop varieties.

Dr. Zenglin Zhang
Prof. Dr. Zhiyong Ni
Prof. Dr. Lichao Zhang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • genetic and epigenetic regulation
  • plant stresses response
  • multi-omics data analysis
  • regulation of plant senescence
  • plant regulatory hormones
  • mechanisms of the elucidation of plant molecular and physiological traits

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

16 pages, 8038 KB  
Article
Comparative Transcriptome and Volatile Metabolome Analysis of Gossypium hirsutum Resistance to Verticillium Wilt
by Ni Yang, Chaoli Xu, Yajun Liang, Juyun Zheng, Shiwei Geng, Fenglei Sun, Shengmei Li, Chengxia Lai, Mayila Yusuyin, Zhaolong Gong and Junduo Wang
Genes 2025, 16(8), 877; https://doi.org/10.3390/genes16080877 - 25 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Background: In recent years, changes in climate conditions and long-term continuous cropping have led to the increased occurrence of Verticillium wilt in various cotton-growing regions, causing significant economic losses in cotton production. Research has shown that volatile substances are closely linked to plant [...] Read more.
Background: In recent years, changes in climate conditions and long-term continuous cropping have led to the increased occurrence of Verticillium wilt in various cotton-growing regions, causing significant economic losses in cotton production. Research has shown that volatile substances are closely linked to plant disease resistance; however, studies on their roles in the response of cotton to Verticillium wilt, including their relationship with gene regulation, are limited. Methods: In this study, the transcriptomes and metabolomes of Xinluzao 57 (a highly susceptible Verticillium wilt variety) and 192,868 (a highly resistant Verticillium wilt variety) were sequenced at different time points after inoculation with Verticillium wilt. Results: A total of 21,911 commonly differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified within and between the materials, and they were clustered into eight groups. Significant annotations were made in pathways related to amino acids and anthocyanins. Metabolomics identified and annotated 26,200 volatile metabolites across nine categories. A total of 158 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) were found within and between the materials; three clusters were identified, and the 10 metabolites with the most significant fold changes were highlighted. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) revealed that 13 genes were significantly correlated with guanosine, 6 genes were correlated with 2-deoxyerythritol, and 32 genes were correlated with raffinose. Conclusions: Our results provide a foundation for understanding the role of volatile substances in the response of cotton to Verticillium wilt and offer new gene resources for future research on Verticillium wilt resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Research on Crop Stress Resistance and Quality Traits)
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