Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.5
3.1
Journals
Horticulturae
Special Issues
A Decade of Research on Vegetable Crops: From Omics to...
share announcement

A Decade of Research on Vegetable Crops: From Omics to Biotechnology

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: 22 December 2025 | Viewed by 3028

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Xiaoming Song

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Life Sciences, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
Interests: plant genome evolution; comparative genomics; gene family; RNA-seq; expression network; non-coding RNA; database construction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past decade, vegetable crop research has made leaps forward, transitioning from omics sciences, unraveling the genetic and molecular intricacies of plants, to modern biotechnology, applying this knowledge to enhance crop traits. Innovations in genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have paved the way for precise gene editing and molecular breeding, leading to improved resistance, yield, and nutritional profiles in vegetables. This convergence of research and technology marks a new era in agriculture, promising sustainable and resilient food production.

This Special Issue on “A Decade of Research on Vegetable Crops: From Omics to Biotechnology” aims to present innovative studies, tools, approaches, and techniques that have been successful in addressing the comparative genomics and gene function of vegetable crops.

Prof. Dr. Xiaoming Song
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. 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

  • vegetable crops
  • genomics
  • transcriptomics
  • metabolomics
  • bioinformatics
  • molecular biology

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

13 pages, 3427 KiB  
Article
Carrot (Daucus carota L.) Haploid Embryo Genome Doubling with Colchicine and Trifluralin
by Maria Fomicheva, Elena Kozar and Elena Domblides
Horticulturae 2025, 11(5), 505; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11050505 - 8 May 2025
Viewed by 261
Abstract
The production of carrot (D. carota L.) doubled haploids (DH) for the acceleration of this important vegetable crop breeding requires genome doubling of haploid regenerants. If spontaneous doubling does not occur, artificial chromosome doubling can be complicated by the lack of efficient [...] Read more.
The production of carrot (D. carota L.) doubled haploids (DH) for the acceleration of this important vegetable crop breeding requires genome doubling of haploid regenerants. If spontaneous doubling does not occur, artificial chromosome doubling can be complicated by the lack of efficient genome-doubling protocols. We tested an antimitotic agent treatment of carrot at the embryo stage. It allowed us to produce and treat a large number of clonal carrot embryos (at least 30 embryos per treatment condition) in small volumes with minimal reagent amounts. We showed that 0.01–1 g/L colchicine did not perturb carrot development. Trifluralin showed no signs of toxicity at 0.001 and 0.01 g/L concentrations, but 0.1 g/L trifluralin reduced survival by 40% and delayed plantlet regeneration. We showed via DNA content flow cytometry that 0.01–1 g/L colchicine and 0.001–0.1 g/L trifluralin could double the carrot genome. The highest diploid percent was observed at 1 g/L colchicine (34%) and 0.1 g/L trifluralin (28%). The highest percent of diploids together with mixoploids (partial diploids) was at 0.01 and 0.1 g/L trifluralin (over 70%), followed by 1 g/L colchicine (56%). To our knowledge, this is the first report on trifluralin application for genome doubling in Apiaceae. In our study, we determined colchicine and trifluralin toxicity and doubling efficiency at different concentrations that can be used for carrot DH-line production and further improvement of genome doubling methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Decade of Research on Vegetable Crops: From Omics to Biotechnology)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 5755 KiB  
Article
Impact of Two Hexaploidizations on Distribution, Codon Bias, and Expression of Transcription Factors in Tomato Fruit Ripeness
by Yating Han, Wanjie Hu, Xiuling Wu, Xinyu Li, Junxi Luo, Ziying Zhu, Zhenyi Wang and Ying Liu
Horticulturae 2025, 11(5), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11050447 - 22 Apr 2025
Viewed by 245
Abstract
Transcription factors play an important regulatory role in tomato fruit ripening. We identified and analyzed eight transcription factor families (TF families) associated with fruit ripening in the genomes of seven tomato species and two outgroup species, revealing the impact of whole-genome duplication (WGD) [...] Read more.
Transcription factors play an important regulatory role in tomato fruit ripening. We identified and analyzed eight transcription factor families (TF families) associated with fruit ripening in the genomes of seven tomato species and two outgroup species, revealing the impact of whole-genome duplication (WGD) events on the structure and functional characteristics of these TF families. The results indicate that the Solanaceae Common Hexaploidization (SCH) event is the primary driver for the increase in the number of members within these TF families, leading to a more concentrated chromosomal distribution of family members. Compared with the two outgroup species, the tomato fruit-ripening-related TF families exhibit stronger codon usage bias, which may have been enhanced by WGD. Phylogenetic analysis found that family members generated by SCH show faster evolutionary rates, suggesting that SCH events significantly contribute to the evolution of these families. Additionally, our research uncovered that WGD events might maintain expression activity during fruit ripening by generating duplicate TF family members. Our study not only deepens our understanding of the mechanisms underlying tomato fruit ripening but also provides a theoretical foundation for future breeding improvements. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Decade of Research on Vegetable Crops: From Omics to Biotechnology)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 6521 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Eggplant Reveals the Key MYB Transcription Factor Involved in Anthocyanin Synthesis
by Jiaqi Ai, Wuhong Wang, Tianhua Hu, Haijiao Hu, Yaqin Yan, Jinglei Wang, Yunzhu Wang, Na Hu, Hongtao Pang, Chonglai Bao and Qingzhen Wei
Horticulturae 2025, 11(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11010012 - 26 Dec 2024
Viewed by 735
Abstract
MYB transcription factors (TFs) represent one of the largest gene families in plants, and previous studies have demonstrated their involvement in regulating anthocyanin synthesis. Eggplant is an important anthocyanin-rich solanaceae vegetable crop. In this study, a total of 219 MYB gene-family members were [...] Read more.
MYB transcription factors (TFs) represent one of the largest gene families in plants, and previous studies have demonstrated their involvement in regulating anthocyanin synthesis. Eggplant is an important anthocyanin-rich solanaceae vegetable crop. In this study, a total of 219 MYB gene-family members were identified using the complete and high-quality eggplant genome, comprising 105 1R-MYBs, 107 R2R3-MYBs, 5 3R-MYBs, and 2 4R-MYBs. Using phylogenetic analysis, we divided them into 33 subfamilies. Members of the SmeMYB gene family are unevenly distributed on 12 chromosomes, but are mainly concentrated at the upper and lower ends of the chromosomes. In addition, the expression levels of R2R3-MYBs in differently colored eggplant tissues (peel, calyx, stem, flower, and leaf) were investigated with RNA-seq (RNA sequencing). A total of 13 differentially expressed R2R3-MYB transcription factors related to the synthesis of anthocyanins in different eggplant tissues were screened out. SmeMYB110, SmeMYB175, and SmeMYB182 were also found to play significant roles in this process. Furthermore, 10 MYB TFs were identified as potential genes regulating anthocyanin synthesis in different tissues. The quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis results showed that SmeMYB175 was regarded as the most likely key transcription factor regulating anthocyanin synthesis in calyx. These results not only deepen our understanding of the MYB gene family in eggplant but also lay a solid foundation for further research on the regulation of SmeR2R3-MYBs in anthocyanin synthesis across diverse eggplant tissues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Decade of Research on Vegetable Crops: From Omics to Biotechnology)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 2119 KiB  
Article
Genome-Wide Analysis of the NBS-LRR Gene Family and SSR Molecular Markers Development in Solanaceae
by Xiaoming Song, Chunjin Li, Zhuo Liu, Rong Zhou, Shaoqin Shen, Tong Yu, Li Jia and Nan Li
Horticulturae 2024, 10(12), 1293; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae10121293 - 4 Dec 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1353
Abstract
The Solanaceae family occupies a significant position, and the study of resistance genes within this family is extremely valuable. Therefore, our goal is to examine disease resistance genes based on the high-quality representative genomes of Solanaceae crops, and to develop corresponding Simple Sequence [...] Read more.
The Solanaceae family occupies a significant position, and the study of resistance genes within this family is extremely valuable. Therefore, our goal is to examine disease resistance genes based on the high-quality representative genomes of Solanaceae crops, and to develop corresponding Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) molecular markers. Among nine representative Solanaceae species, we identified 819 NBS-LRR genes, which were further divided into 583 CC-NBS-LRR (CNL), 54 RPW8-NBS-LRR (RNL), and 182 TIR-NBS-LRR (TNL) genes. Whole genome duplication (WGD) has played a very important role in the expansion of NBS-LRR genes in Solanaceae crops. Gene structure analysis showed the striking similarity in the conserved motifs of NBS-LRR genes, which suggests a common ancestral origin, followed by evolutionary differentiation and amplification. Gene clustering and events like rearrangement within the NBS-LRR family contribute to their scattered chromosomal distribution. Our findings reveal that the majority of NBS-LRR family genes across all examined species predominantly localize to chromosomal termini. The analysis indicates the significant impact of the most recent whole genome triplication (WGT) on the NBS-LRR family genes. Moreover, we constructed Protein–Protein Interaction (PPI) networks for all 819 NBS-LRR genes, identifying 3820 potential PPI pairs. Notably, 97 genes displayed clear interactive relationships, highlighting their potential role in disease resistance processes. A total of 22,226 SSRs were detected from all genes of nine Solanaceae species. Among these SSRs, we screened 43 NBS-LRR-associated SSRs. Our study lays the foundation for further exploration into SSR development and genetic mapping related to disease resistance in Solanaceae species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Decade of Research on Vegetable Crops: From Omics to Biotechnology)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop