Molecular Biology for Stress Management in Horticultural Plants

A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Genetics, Genomics, Breeding, and Biotechnology (G2B2)".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2026 | Viewed by 4103

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
Interests: collection and identification of horticultural plant germplasm resources; molecular mechanisms of fruit quality development and regulation
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Guest Editor
School of Life Sciences, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
Interests: plant genomics; plant stress biology; molecular regulation
School of Agriculture & Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Interests: plant synthetic biology; natural product biosynthesis; transcriptional regulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Horticultural plants, encompassing fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, tea, and nuts, play a crucial role in global food security, nutrition, and aesthetics. As climate change and environmental stressors increasingly affect agricultural productivity, it is essential to deepen our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying stress responses in these valuable crops.

We are pleased to announce a Special Issue titled "Molecular Biology for Stress Management in Horticultural Plants." This initiative aims to gather and disseminate the latest advancements in the field, focusing on the intricate gene expression and regulatory networks that govern stress tolerance in horticultural plants.We cordially invite researchers to submit their work on the following topics:

  1. Identification and Functional Analysis of Key Genes: Studies that identify and characterize genes critical for stress tolerance in horticultural crops, elucidating their roles and mechanisms of action.
  2. Transcriptional and Post-transcriptional Regulatory Networks: Research that explores the complex networks regulating gene expression at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels, including the involvement of non-coding RNAs and regulatory proteins.
  3. Epigenetic Modifications: Investigations into the role of epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling, in modulating gene expression under stress conditions.
  4. Omics Technologies: Applications of omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) to uncover novel regulatory pathways and integrative mechanisms that contribute to stress resilience in horticultural plants.

We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and insightful perspectives that provide valuable insights into the molecular foundations of stress management in horticultural plants. This Special Issue aims to compile a diverse array of high-quality studies to enhance our collective understanding of the mechanisms regulating gene expression and stress responses in these plants. Ultimately, we hope this collection will serve as a valuable reference for breeding strategies and sustainable agricultural practices, contributing to the resilience and productivity of horticultural crops in the face of environmental challenges.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and collaborating to advance the field of molecular biology in horticultural stress management.

Dr. Lixiang Miao
Dr. Ming Jiang
Dr. Qian Shen
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. Horticulturae 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 2200 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

  • horticultural plants
  • stress management
  • gene expression
  • epigenetic modifications
  • omics technologies
  • transcriptional networks
  • post-transcriptional regulation
  • gene identification
  • environmental stress resilience
  • sustainable agriculture

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

23 pages, 6313 KB  
Article
Four Petal-Specific TPS Drive Nocturnal Terpene Scent in Jasminum sambac
by Yuan Yuan, Li Hu, Xian He, Jinan Li, Chao Wan, Yue Zhang, Yuting Wang, Wei Wang and Binghua Wu
Horticulturae 2026, 12(1), 10; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12010010 - 23 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1763
Abstract
Floral volatile terpenoids are known to play important roles in plant pollination biology by attracting animal pollinators, repelling antagonists, and enhancing resistance to potential microbial pathogens. The terpenoid blend emitted by a flower is usually plant-lineage specific and is primarily determined by a [...] Read more.
Floral volatile terpenoids are known to play important roles in plant pollination biology by attracting animal pollinators, repelling antagonists, and enhancing resistance to potential microbial pathogens. The terpenoid blend emitted by a flower is usually plant-lineage specific and is primarily determined by a set of versatile terpene synthases (TPSs), which catalyze the final step of diverse terpenoid synthesis. The strongly scented flower of Jasminum sambac (L.) Aiton emits linalool and α-farnesene, which dominate the nocturnal floral VOCs, yet the corresponding TPSs have not been identified. Here, we show that four TPS enzymes are responsible for the synthesis of a mixture of volatile terpenoids in the flower, based on their highly correlated and almost exclusive expression in the petal, as well as their enzymatic characterizations in vitro and in Nicotiana benthamiana Domin. JsTPS01 (TPS-a) acts as a sesquiterpene synthase, producing τ-cadinol in yeast at levels that mirror its rhythmic expression in petals. JsTPS02 (TPS-b) carries a plastid-targeting transit peptide, localizes to chloroplasts/plastids, and converts geranyl diphosphate (GPP) to linalool with high affinity (Km = 28.2 ± 3.4 µM). JsTPS03 is a TPS-b clade member that can convert farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) to farnesol with a Km of 14.4 ± 5.9 μM in an in vitro assay using isolated yeast vehicles. JsTPS04 (TPS-e/f) exhibits dual targeting—cytosolic in protoplasts of Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh, but plastidic in J. sambac petals—and functions as a bifunctional mono-/sesqui-TPS, forming linalool from GPP (Km = 2.5 ± 0.3 µM) and trans-nerolidol from FPP (Km = 7.6 ± 0.6 µM). Transient expression in N. benthamiana leaves further confirmed its in-planta linalool production. Collectively, we identified four preferentially expressed terpene synthases that contribute to the production of linalool, τ-cadinol, trans-nerolidol, and farnesol in J. sambac. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biology for Stress Management in Horticultural Plants)
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17 pages, 1999 KB  
Article
Genetic Responses to Drought and Waterlogging Stresses of Longleaf Speedwell (Pseudolysimachion longifolium)
by Sang Heon Kim, Ji Hun Yi, Jin-Woo Kim, Ji Young Jung and Wonwoo Cho
Horticulturae 2025, 11(11), 1390; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11111390 - 18 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 705
Abstract
Climate change necessitates a deeper understanding of plant tolerance mechanisms to dual water stresses. This study investigated the distinct physiological and genetic responses of Longleaf Speedwell (Pseudolysimachion longifolium) to drought and waterlogging using RNA-Seq. Physiological data showed a rapid and comparable [...] Read more.
Climate change necessitates a deeper understanding of plant tolerance mechanisms to dual water stresses. This study investigated the distinct physiological and genetic responses of Longleaf Speedwell (Pseudolysimachion longifolium) to drought and waterlogging using RNA-Seq. Physiological data showed a rapid and comparable reduction in photosynthetic efficiency after one week and a reduction in biomass under both stresses after two weeks. However, transcriptomic analysis revealed fundamentally distinct strategies: Drought induced a massive transcriptional response characterized by the strong upregulation of defense and stress-tolerance pathways and the severe shutdown of growth-related metabolism. In contrast, waterlogging triggered a constrained hypoxic response, prioritizing energy conservation by downregulating synthesis processes and activating ethylene signaling. The reliability of the RNA-Seq data was confirmed by qRT-PCR, which also crucially identified Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), Ethylene Responsive Factor (ERF), and Peroxidase (POD) as common candidate genes highly induced under both drought and waterlogging conditions, suggesting a shared genetic module for general water stress tolerance. These findings provide valuable insights into the adaptation mechanisms of non-model plants to complex environmental changes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biology for Stress Management in Horticultural Plants)
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18 pages, 4953 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification, Systematic Evolution, and Ethylene-Induced Response Characteristics of the Banana WRKY Gene Family During Fruit Ripening
by Yuji Huang, Ming Jiang, Haojun Zheng and Lixiang Miao
Horticulturae 2025, 11(11), 1289; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11111289 - 27 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1195
Abstract
This study conducted a genome-wide identification and systematic evolutionary analysis of the banana WRKY gene family using bioinformatics, transcriptomics, and molecular biology approaches. A total of 153 WRKY genes were identified in the banana genome, with significant differences in the amino acid count, [...] Read more.
This study conducted a genome-wide identification and systematic evolutionary analysis of the banana WRKY gene family using bioinformatics, transcriptomics, and molecular biology approaches. A total of 153 WRKY genes were identified in the banana genome, with significant differences in the amino acid count, molecular weight, and other physicochemical properties of their encoded proteins. The subcellular localization of these proteins is primarily in the nucleus. These genes are unevenly distributed across 11 chromosomes, with the highest density on chromosome 7. WRKY gene family members exhibit diverse expression patterns during fruit development and ripening, and some can respond to multiple abiotic and biotic stresses. Systematic evolutionary analysis classified them into three major groups (I, II, and III), with Group II having the highest number of members, which are further divided into five subgroups. Conserved motif analysis revealed that Motif1, Motif2, and Motif4 are key structural elements in the family’s evolution, with some members having a WRKYGKK variant. The gene structure shows a wide range of exon numbers (1–22), and the promoter regions are rich in cis-elements related to light response, hormone signaling, and stress response, indicating their potential for integrating light signals, hormone networks, and multiple stress responses. Collinearity analysis identified 116 segmental duplication events, with Ka/Ks values all less than 1, indicating purifying selection. After ethylene treatment, 51 genes showed significant changes in expression, which can be categorized into four patterns: sustained upregulation, sustained downregulation, initial upregulation followed by downregulation, and delayed upregulation. Among these, MaWRKY10, MaWRKY88, and MaWRKY137 exhibited significant expression changes and may play key roles in fruit ripening. These findings significantly contribute to the theoretical framework regarding the evolution and function of the WRKY family in plants. Moreover, they offer valuable gene resources and regulatory strategies that enhance postharvest banana preservation and molecular breeding efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biology for Stress Management in Horticultural Plants)
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