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Plant Metabolism and Genetics

A Special Issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067) belonging to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 795

Editor

Vegetable Horticulture, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
Interests: riosynthesis and regulatory mechanisms; plant secondary metabolites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue of the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, entitled "Plant Metabolism and Genetics".

Plant metabolism and genetics are central to understanding how plants grow, develop, and adapt to their environments. Primary and secondary metabolic pathways not only sustain basic life activities but also enable plants to respond to biotic and abiotic stresses. The intricate interplay between genetic factors and metabolic outputs defines key agronomic traits, influencing crop yield, nutritional quality, and resilience. Advances in multi-omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics), along with tools like CRISPR-based gene editing, have accelerated the discovery of genes governing metabolic pathways and their regulatory mechanisms. These developments are crucial for tackling global challenges such as food security, climate change, and sustainable agriculture. This Special Issue seeks to compile cutting-edge research that explores the genetic underpinnings of plant metabolism, providing insights into the complexity of plant biochemical systems.

This Special Issue aims to gather high-quality original research and review articles that elucidate the genetic and molecular mechanisms regulating plant metabolic pathways. We seek to advance the understanding of how genetic variations drive metabolic diversity, influence stress adaptation, and can be harnessed for crop improvement. The subject covers all aspects of plant biology, including physiology, biochemistry, genetics, genomics, and molecular breeding. By focusing on the interface of metabolism and genetics, this Special Issue fits within the journal's commitment to publishing significant research that enhances our knowledge of plant science and its applications. We envision a collection that bridges basic research and practical applications, ensuring relevance while maintaining a focused theme capable of attracting at least 10 quality articles. If the required threshold is met, the Special Issue could potentially be published as a book.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

I: Genetic and genomic bases of primary and secondary metabolic pathways (e.g., glycolysis, TCA cycle, synthesis of specialized metabolites).

II: Molecular mechanisms of metabolic regulation in response to abiotic and biotic stresses (e.g., drought, salinity, pathogens).

III: Application of multi-omics integration (metabolomics, transcriptomics, proteomics) to study metabolic networks and their regulation.

IV: Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for crop improvement (e.g., enhancing nutritional value, stress resilience, or yield).

V: Gene discovery, gene family evolution, and functional characterization related to metabolism.

VI: Role of phytohormones and signaling molecules in linking genetic programs to metabolic outputs.

VII: Use of gene editing (e.g., CRISPR) and molecular breeding to modulate metabolic traits.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Dalu Li
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 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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

  • plant metabolism
  • genetics
  • genomics
  • multi-omics integration
  • secondary/specialized metabolites
  • biosynthetic pathways
  • metabolic engineering crop improvement

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

13 pages, 3050 KB  
Article
SmYABBY1, a Light-Inducible Transcription Factor, Positively Regulates Anthocyanin Biosynthesis in Eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)
by Suli Shi, Guozhi Yang, Zhanggen Gu, Qin Xue, Yang Liu and Lihua Ye
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(10), 4347; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27104347 - 13 May 2026
Viewed by 500
Abstract
Anthocyanin biosynthesis in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is highly light-dependent, and insufficient light severely impairs fruit coloration, which restricts the development of the eggplant industry. SmMYB75 is a key positive regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis, but its regulatory partners remain unclear. In this [...] Read more.
Anthocyanin biosynthesis in eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) is highly light-dependent, and insufficient light severely impairs fruit coloration, which restricts the development of the eggplant industry. SmMYB75 is a key positive regulator of anthocyanin biosynthesis, but its regulatory partners remain unclear. In this study, seven SmYABBY genes were identified from the eggplant genome, all containing conserved zinc finger and YABBY domains. Expression analysis showed that SmYABBY1 was predominantly expressed in fruit peel and significantly induced by light, with a peak at 4 h after light exposure. The yeast two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays indicated that SmYABBY1 interacts with SmMYB75 and the light signaling regulator SmCOP1 in the nucleus. The heterologous overexpression of SmYABBY1 in Arabidopsis enhanced anthocyanin accumulation and upregulated the expression of anthocyanin structural genes. Transient co-expression in tobacco leaves further demonstrated that SmYABBY1 synergistically enhances SmMYB75-mediated anthocyanin biosynthesis. The yeast one-hybrid and Dual-LUC assays revealed that SmYABBY1 does not directly bind to the promoters of SmMYB75, SmDFR, and SmANS but indirectly promotes their transcriptional activity. Our results illustrate that SmYABBY1 acts as a transcriptional co-activator, interacting with SmMYB75 to promote anthocyanin accumulation, while SmCOP1 is involved in this regulatory process. This study provides a molecular basis for improving eggplant coloration under suboptimal light conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Metabolism and Genetics)
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