Phenological Regulation of Secondary Metabolism

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 642

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Fisiología y Química Vegetal, Instituto de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Libramiento Norte-Poniente 1150, Tuxtla Gutiérrez 29039, Chiapas, Mexico
Interests: secondary metabolites; natural products; specialized metabolites

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratorio de Fisiología y Química Vegetal, Universidad de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas, Chiapas 29039, Mexico
Interests: secondary metabolites; natural products; specialized metabolites

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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Natural Medicines, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650201, China
Interests: plant specialized metabolites biosynthesis; plant natural products chemistry; plant genomics; terpenoids; enzymology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant phenology broadly refers to the timing of seasonal events in the plant life cycle, such as germination, flowering, and fruiting. Plants produce secondary metabolites, also known as specialized metabolites, which enable them to interact with their environment. The production of these secondary metabolites can vary significantly in both quality and quantity due to factors such as genetic variability, ecological functions, physiological conditions, seasonal changes, habitat environmental variables, and phenological stages.

Numerous studies have investigated how these factors influence the production of secondary metabolites. Typically suggested explanations for these variations often involve hypotheses of optimal defense in response to natural enemies and the costs associated with resource allocation for biosynthesis.

However, fluctuations in secondary metabolite levels during certain phenophases may indicate a redistribution of these metabolites among different tissues. For example, metabolites from senescent leaves might be redirected to the roots or flowers. Additionally, this variation may result from the exchange of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S) atoms between primary and secondary molecules rather than solely as a response to herbivory pressure. Moreover, metabolites serve various functions beyond defense, such as responding to water stress, facilitating communication with beneficial microbiota, and fostering mutualistic interactions.

Therefore, understanding the variations in secondary metabolites during different phenological stages could provide insights into intrinsic patterns and how plants respond to biotic and abiotic pressures. However, current knowledge on this topic is limited, with the existing literature mainly focusing on specific components or species.

This Special Issue welcomes studies examining the impact of phenology on variations in secondary metabolites.

Dr. Iván De-la-Cruz-Chacón
Dr. Alma Rosa González-Esquinca
Prof. Dr. Xin Fang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • phenological fluctuations
  • metabolites’ phenological fluctuations
  • secondary metabolites
  • natural products
  • specialized metabolites

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 8392 KB  
Article
Annual Dynamic Changes in Lignin Synthesis Metabolites in Catalpa bungei ‘Jinsi’
by Chenxia Song, Yan Wang, Tao Sun, Yi Han, Yanjuan Mu, Xinyue Ji, Shuxin Zhang, Yanguo Sun, Fusheng Wu, Tao Liu, Ningning Li, Qingjun Han, Boqiang Tong, Xinghui Lu and Yizeng Lu
Metabolites 2025, 15(8), 493; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15080493 - 22 Jul 2025
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Abstract
Background: Catalpa bungei ‘Jinsi’ has excellent wood properties and golden texture, which is widely used in producing furniture and crafts. The lignin content and structural composition often determine the use and value of wood. Hence, investigating the characteristics of the annual dynamics [...] Read more.
Background: Catalpa bungei ‘Jinsi’ has excellent wood properties and golden texture, which is widely used in producing furniture and crafts. The lignin content and structural composition often determine the use and value of wood. Hence, investigating the characteristics of the annual dynamics of lignin anabolic metabolites in C. bungei ‘Jinsi’ and analyzing their synthesis pathways are particularly important. Methods: We carried out targeted metabolomics analysis of lignin synthesis metabolites using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) on the xylem samples of C. bungei ‘Jinsi’ in February, April, July, October 2022, and January 2023. Results: A total of 10 lignin synthesis–related metabolites were detected: L-phenylalanine, cinnamic acid, p-coumaraldehyde, sinapic acid, p-coumaric acid, coniferaldehyde, ferulic acid, sinapaldehyde, caffeic acid, and sinapyl alcohol (annual total content from high to low). These metabolites were mainly annotated to the synthesis of secondary metabolites and phenylpropane biosynthesis. The annual total content of the 10 metabolites showed the tendency of “decreasing, then increasing, and then decreasing”. Conclusions: C. bungei ‘Jinsi’ is a typical G/S-lignin tree species, and the synthesis of G-lignin occurs earlier than that of S-lignin. The total metabolite content decreased rapidly, and the lignin anabolism process was active from April to July; the metabolites were accumulated, and the lignin anabolism process slowed down from July to October; the total metabolite content remained basically unchanged, and lignin synthesis slowed down or stagnated from October to January of the following year. This reveals the annual dynamic pattern of lignin biosynthesis, which contributes to improving the wood quality and yield of C. bungei ‘Jinsi’ and provides a theoretical basis for its targeted breeding. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Phenological Regulation of Secondary Metabolism)
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