ijms-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Solanaceae Biology: From Genetics to Metabolism

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 962

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Interests: evolution of plant metabolic networks; metabolic network reconstruction; biosynthesis of specialized metabolites; regulation of plant metabolism; plant–herbivore interaction; Solanaceae; glandular trichome
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Solanaceae, also known as the nightshade family, is one of the largest and most diverse plant families, comprising over 3000 species across 90 genera. This family includes a wide range of economically important plants, such as agricultural crops (tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants), medicinal plants (belladonna, datura, and henbane), spices (chili peppers), and ornamental plants (petunias and cupflowers). The remarkable diversity within this family provides a great research system for plant biologists, horticulturists, and researchers in various fields. Several plants within the nightshade family have emerged as model organisms for plant biology studies at the molecular and genetic levels. Tomato, tobacco, and petunia are among the most extensively studied species, providing valuable insights into plant development, physiology, and genetics. Despite their similar genetic backgrounds, plants in the nightshade family produce a vast array of specialized metabolites, many of which have been developed for medicinal use. Nicotine, found in tobacco, and tropane alkaloids derived from plants such as belladonna and datura are notable examples of these metabolites. The diverse chemical compositions of Solanaceae plants have sparked interest in exploring their potential for drug discovery and the development of novel pharmaceutical compounds. Until today, many plants in the nightshade family remain understudied, representing a vast resource for human exploration and potential utilization in various fields, such as agriculture, medicine, and biotechnology.

For this Special Issue, we welcome original research articles, reviews, short notes, or opinion articles exploring the genetics, biochemistry, and metabolism of this fascinating plant family. Topics may include, but are not limited to, comparative omics studies, novel compound discovery, metabolic pathway elucidation, plant–environment interactions, and crop improvement. We aim to bring together a diverse collection of research findings that will enhance our understanding of Solanaceae biology for future innovations.

Dr. Pengxiang Fan
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. 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

  • Solanaceae
  • nightshade family
  • tomato
  • potato
  • tobacco
  • eggplant
  • genetics
  • metabolism
  • crop improvement
  • specialized metabolite

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 (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 4508 KB  
Article
Characterization and Transcriptome Analysis Reveal Abnormal Pollen Germination in Cytoplasmic Male Sterile Tomato
by Kosuke Kuwabara and Tohru Ariizumi
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(17), 8337; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms26178337 - 28 Aug 2025
Viewed by 397
Abstract
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a plant trait wherein plants cannot develop normal male organs because of the mitochondrial genes. Although the mitochondrial gene orf137 has been identified as the CMS-causing gene in tomatoes, its function remains unclear. In this study, we characterized [...] Read more.
Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) is a plant trait wherein plants cannot develop normal male organs because of the mitochondrial genes. Although the mitochondrial gene orf137 has been identified as the CMS-causing gene in tomatoes, its function remains unclear. In this study, we characterized the sterile male phenotypes and analyzed the CMS pollen transcriptome. Microscopic and calcium imaging analyses revealed that CMS pollen exhibited abnormal germination from multiple apertures, accompanied by elevated calcium concentrations and vesicle accumulation, which are typically observed in pollen tube tips. RNA-Seq analysis revealed 440 differentially expressed genes, including four pectin methylesterase inhibitor (PMEI) genes that were highly expressed in the pollen. PME activity was significantly reduced in CMS pollen, suggesting its association with abnormal pollen germination. ATP and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, which are key mediators of mitochondrial retrograde signaling (MRS), remained unchanged in CMS pollen, and the expression of the mitochondrial stress marker AOX1a was not elevated. These findings suggest that orf137 triggers an alternative MRS pathway independent of ATP or ROS, potentially leading to PMEI upregulation and abnormal pollen germination. Our results reveal a previously unrecognized mechanism of CMS-induced male sterility in tomatoes involving nuclear gene regulation through unconventional mitochondrial signaling. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Solanaceae Biology: From Genetics to Metabolism)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop