Integrating Transcriptome and Metabolome to Optimize Molecular Breeding in Fruit Trees
A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Fruit Production Systems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 23 September 2026 | Viewed by 9
Special Issue Editors
Interests: multi-omics integration; transcriptomics; metabolomics; molecular breeding; fruit tree biology; fruit quality
Interests: systematic pomology; tree fruit breeding and cultivar evaluation for fruit quality; disease resistance and tree growth type
Interests: fruit quality; fruit tree breeding; secondary metabolism; transcriptional regulation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Fruit tree breeding is currently undergoing a critical transition from traditional empirical methods to modern molecular design breeding. With the rapid advancement of omics technologies, we are now presented with new opportunities to unravel the formation mechanisms of complex agronomic traits in fruit trees. However, single-omics data often fall short in systematically deciphering the complete regulatory networks underlying target traits (such as fruit flavor, color, and stress resistance), which remains a major bottleneck limiting the efficiency of molecular breeding in fruit trees.
In this context, integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis offers a novel perspective to address this challenge. By simultaneously examining the relationship between gene expression and metabolite accumulation, we can establish direct links between molecular expression and phenotypic traits, thereby enabling more precise identification of key functional genes and metabolic pathways.
This Special Issue, "Integrating Transcriptome and Metabolome to Optimize Molecular Breeding in Fruit Trees," aims to gather cutting-edge research in this field, with a focus on—but not limited to—the following areas: Multi-omics integration analysis of key agronomic traits; Construction of gene-metabolite regulatory networks; Functional gene discovery and validation; Development and application of molecular markers; Novel methods for multi-omics data integration; Innovations in precision breeding strategies.
Prof. Dr. Kai Xu
Prof. Daniele Bassi
Dr. Bo-Ping Wu
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- transcriptome
- metabolome
- molecular breeding
- fruit trees
- multi-omics integration
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