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Horticulturae
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Enhancing Stress Tolerance in Horticultural Plants Through Genomics and Gene...
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Enhancing Stress Tolerance in Horticultural Plants Through Genomics and Gene Editing

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 June 2026 | Viewed by 1747

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Li-Jun Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Cultivation and Protection for Non-Wood Forest Trees, College of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410018, China
Interests: molecular plant sciences; plant genetic and breeding; plant biotechnology; phytohormones
Dr. Song Sheng

E-Mail
Guest Editor
College of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry & Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Interests: genetics; cell biology; molecular biology
Dr. Xiao-Long Jiang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
Interests: quercus; genetic diversity; evolutionary biology; population genetics; phylogeography
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Recent advances in genomics and gene editing have provided unprecedented opportunities for the improvement of horticultural crops. Traits such as yield, quality, stress tolerance, disease resistance, and postharvest performance can now be precisely modified and enhanced. This Special Issue aims to collect original research and review articles that explore the physiological, biochemical and molecular basis of horticultural traits and highlight the application of innovative biotechnologies across fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, and bamboos. The scope of this Special Issue includes the genome sequencing and functional genomics of horticultural species, CRISPR/Cas-mediated trait modification, the discovery of key regulatory genes, molecular breeding strategies, and the integration of multi-omics approaches. By compiling contributions from diverse fields, this Special Issue seeks to provide a platform for sharing innovative findings, promoting collaboration, and accelerating the translation of molecular insights into practical horticultural applications.

Dr. Li-Jun Huang
Dr. Song Sheng
Dr. Xiao-Long Jiang
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 traits
  • functional genomics
  • physiological parameter
  • gene editing
  • molecular breeding
  • phytohormones
  • metabolites
  • gene characterization

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 4159 KB  
Article
A Protoplast-Based Transient Expression System for Rapid Gene Functional Analysis in Gardenia jasminoides
by Kebin Chen, Zeyu Feng, Chuantong Cui, Wei Wang, Li-Jun Huang, Chenrui Fu, Qiuyuan Zhao, Pedro Garcia-Caparros, Jianhua Huang, Ning Li and Yanling Zeng
Horticulturae 2026, 12(4), 436; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12040436 - 2 Apr 2026
Viewed by 699
Abstract
Gardenia jasminoides Ellis is a commercially important medicinal and ornamental plant; however, its functional genomics remain poorly understood because of the lack of efficient cell-based research tools. To address this limitation, we established an optimized method for isolating viable protoplasts from petal and [...] Read more.
Gardenia jasminoides Ellis is a commercially important medicinal and ornamental plant; however, its functional genomics remain poorly understood because of the lack of efficient cell-based research tools. To address this limitation, we established an optimized method for isolating viable protoplasts from petal and mesophyll tissues of G. jasminoides and developed a polyethylene glycol (PEG)-mediated transient expression system. For petal protoplast isolation, the optimal enzyme combination consisted of 3.0% cellulase R-10 and 1.0% macerozyme R-10 supplemented with 0.5 M D-mannitol, yielding 5.26 × 106 protoplasts per gram fresh weight (FW) with 80.63% viability. For mesophyll protoplast isolation, 1.5% cellulase R-10 and 0.5% macerozyme R-10 supplemented with 0.5 M D-mannitol produced 8.75 × 106 protoplasts g−1 FW with 84.55% viability. PEG-mediated transient transformation was optimized at 20% PEG4000 for petal protoplasts and 40% PEG4000 for mesophyll protoplasts, resulting in efficient GFP expression. This system was successfully applied to subcellular localization analyses of floral regulatory proteins (GjAP3, GjPI, and GjSEP) and defense-related proteins (GjNPR1 and GjTGA2), as well as to the validation of protein–protein interactions between GjSEP and GjPI and between GjNPR1 and GjTGA2 using bimolecular fluorescence complementation and yeast two-hybrid assays. Collectively, these results establish a reliable and species-specific protoplast-based platform for rapid functional characterization of genes in G. jasminoides, providing an effective tool for future studies on gene regulation, metabolic engineering, and molecular breeding in this horticultural plant species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Stress Tolerance in Horticultural Plants Through Genomics and Gene Editing)
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12 pages, 528 KB  
Article
Rapid In Vitro Propagation of Quercus gilva via Nodal Explants: A Protocol for Culture Establishment, Shoot Proliferation, and Ex Vitro Rooting
by Xin-Cheng Huang, Xia Zhou, Lian Liu, Xuan-Fang Zuo, Tian-Ge Chen, Long-Qing Cai, Lei Ouyang, Xin Qi and He Li
Horticulturae 2026, 12(2), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12020241 - 18 Feb 2026
Viewed by 543
Abstract
Quercus gilva is a dominant species in the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests of East Asia with substantial economic and ecological value. However, efficient clonal propagation methods for this species remain limited. This study aimed to establish a micropropagation protocol for Q. gilva using [...] Read more.
Quercus gilva is a dominant species in the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests of East Asia with substantial economic and ecological value. However, efficient clonal propagation methods for this species remain limited. This study aimed to establish a micropropagation protocol for Q. gilva using nodal stem segments from two-year-old seedlings as explants, focusing on culture establishment, shoot induction, shoot proliferation, and ex vitro rooting. Aseptic culture was effectively established by rinsing explants under running water for 15 min, followed by immersion in 0.1% HgCl2 for 8 min, which balanced contamination control and explant viability. Explant browning was reduced by pre-soaking in 1.0 g·L−1 ascorbic acid (VC) and by supplementing the Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 3.0 g·L−1 activated charcoal. The highest shoot induction percentage (80.0%) was obtained on MS medium containing 1.0 mg·L−1 2,4-D and 0.5 mg·L−1 TDZ. Shoot proliferation was achieved by subculturing induced shoots on MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg·L−1 NAA and 1.0 mg·L−1 2iP. For ex vitro rooting, regenerated shoots were dipped in a solution containing 600.0 mg·L−1 IBA plus 700.0 mg·L−1 NAA and then transplanted into a substrate of peat and perlite (1:1, v/v), resulting in a rooting percentage of 70.0% and well-developed root systems. This study establishes a preliminary in vitro propagation framework for Q. gilva, providing a methodological reference for future studies aimed at improving clonal propagation efficiency. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Enhancing Stress Tolerance in Horticultural Plants Through Genomics and Gene Editing)
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