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Beyond the Gene: Molecular Circuits Shaping Plant Cells and Tissues

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: closed (20 February 2026) | Viewed by 1445

Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plants, as master architects of the biological world, construct intricate cellular and tissue architectures that are the foundation of all life on Earth. These intrinsic arrangements—from the precise patterning of stomata for gas exchange to the complex vascular networks for nutrient transport—are essential for diverse biological functions, enabling adaptation to fluctuating environments, defense against pathogens, and the critical process of photosynthesis. The execution of these functions is not a property of a single cell but a symphony of developmental programs and spatial coordination among neighboring cells and their environment. This coordination culminates in the precise localization of functional molecules at the subcellular level, dictating cellular identity and organismal form.

While many of the key players have been mapped, fundamental questions remain: How are these complex structures and functions dynamically regulated at the molecular level? How do signals from the environment integrate with internal developmental cues to orchestrate cellular behavior? How do subcellular dynamics translate into tissue-level organization?

With this Special Issue, “Beyond the Gene: Molecular Circuits Shaping Plant Cells and Tissues”, we aim to address these core questions by advancing our understanding of the molecular circuitry governing plant cell function, tissue organization, and developmental regulation. We invite submissions of original research that employs cutting-edge cell biology, molecular genetics, genomics, proteomics, and systems biology approaches to provide novel insights into these mechanisms. We particularly welcome studies that bridge scales, from molecules to organelles, cells, and tissues, as well as comprehensive reviews and articles detailing significant technical advances that propel the field forward.

Dr. Tarek Alshaal
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • cell function
  • cell polarity
  • tissue organization
  • transporter
  • localization

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 3455 KB  
Article
Coordinated Cell-Wall and Starch Maturation Is Associated with Winter-Harvest Quality in Sparganium stoloniferum Tubers
by Xilong Qian, Maoqi Pan, Jingying Zhang, Qinan Liu, Fan Yang, Chanchan Liu, Mengru Sang and Qinan Wu
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(10), 4566; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27104566 - 19 May 2026
Viewed by 323
Abstract
Sparganium stoloniferum tubers (SL), known medicinally as Sparganii Rhizoma, are commonly considered superior at the winter-harvest stage, when they show the traditional quality traits of heavy weight and firm texture. However, the developmental basis of this quality phenotype remains insufficiently understood. This study [...] Read more.
Sparganium stoloniferum tubers (SL), known medicinally as Sparganii Rhizoma, are commonly considered superior at the winter-harvest stage, when they show the traditional quality traits of heavy weight and firm texture. However, the developmental basis of this quality phenotype remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to determine how tissue organization, cell-wall architecture, starch deposition, and related transcriptional patterns are associated with winter-harvest quality in SL. By comparing SL at different developmental stages, we found that maturation was accompanied by reduced moisture content, increased tuber density, higher parenchyma cell density, progressive cell-wall thickening, and marked starch accumulation. Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations further revealed thickened multilamellar cell walls and abundant clustered or compound-like starch bodies in mature SL. Starch isolated from mature SL displayed an A-type crystalline pattern, short-range order, and high gelatinization and pasting temperatures, indicating an ordered and thermally stable starch matrix. Cell-wall Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses showed a predominantly polysaccharide-rich framework with subtle maturation-associated changes in aromatic- and methoxy-associated wall signals. Transcript-guided pathway analysis, supported by reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT–qPCR)validation, suggested developmental shifts in carbohydrate metabolism, lipid-related metabolism, and gibberellin-associated transcriptional patterns. Together, these findings indicate that winter-harvest quality in SL is associated with coordinated tissue consolidation, cell-wall maturation, starch deposition, and transcriptional reprogramming, providing a structural and molecular framework for understanding the traditional firm-texture trait of S. stoloniferum. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beyond the Gene: Molecular Circuits Shaping Plant Cells and Tissues)
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