Genome-Scale Metabolic Networks in Plants

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 June 2025 | Viewed by 581

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Plant Science, University of California, Davis, California, CA 95616, USA
Interests: abiotic stress; biotic stress; plant; genomics; nitrogen fixation; cereal crop; plant development

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Plant Science, University of California, Davis, California, CA 95616, USA
2. Lethbridge Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge, AB T1J 4B1, Canada
Interests: nitrogen fixation; cereal crops and canola

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Genome-scale Metabolic Network (GSMN) in plants refers to a comprehensive model that maps all the biochemical reactions, metabolites, and genes involved in the metabolism of a plant organism. It integrates genomic data, metabolic pathways, and enzyme functions to provide a system-level view of a plant's metabolism, from primary to secondary metabolism. The model typically represents the flow of metabolites through the network of metabolic reactions, with the reactions governed by the presence of specific enzymes, which are encoded by genes. These metabolic networks are often constructed using data derived from the plant's genome, transcriptome, and other omics approaches. Key features of Genome-Scale Metabolic Networks in plants include a detailed collection of biochemical pathways involved in the plant’s metabolism, such as carbon, nitrogen, sulphur, and lipid metabolism. They link metabolic reactions to specific genes and the proteins they encode, which catalyse these reactions. The network typically includes stoichiometric relationships between metabolites and the constraints governing reaction rates, such as enzyme capacity or thermodynamic feasibility. A computational approach is often used to predict the flow of metabolites through the network, helping to understand metabolic behaviour under different conditions. GSMNs are used in metabolic engineering to design plants with enhanced traits (e.g., improved stress resistance, higher yield, or the production of biofuels or pharmaceuticals). In summary, a Genome-Scale Metabolic Network in plants is a powerful tool to study and manipulate the complex biochemical systems that drive plant growth, development, and response to environmental stimuli.

Dr. Akhilesh Yadav
Dr. Dawei Yan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • metabolites
  • genomics
  • transcriptomics
  • omics
  • pathway
  • network

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 1823 KiB  
Article
Physiological and Molecular Responses of Underutilized Genotype AHK-200 of Vegetable Melon (Cucumis melo var. melo) Against Drought Stress: Gas Exchange, Antioxidant Activity, and Gene Expression
by Sudhakar Pandey, Waquar Akhter Ansari, Ram Krishna, Akhilesh Yadav, Durgesh Kumar Jaiswal and Bijendra Singh
Metabolites 2025, 15(6), 359; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo15060359 - 28 May 2025
Viewed by 414
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Drought stress is a significant environmental challenge that affects plant growth and productivity. Methods: In this study, an underutilized and better drought stress tolerance genotype of Cucumis melo var. melo, i.e., AHK-200, was investigated for drought tolerance potential, with [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Drought stress is a significant environmental challenge that affects plant growth and productivity. Methods: In this study, an underutilized and better drought stress tolerance genotype of Cucumis melo var. melo, i.e., AHK-200, was investigated for drought tolerance potential, with special emphasis on various morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular parameters. Results: Our findings show that AHK-200 demonstrates superior drought tolerance with an enhanced root length, better water retention capacity, and stable cell membrane integrity under water deficit conditions. Physiologically, AHK-200 exhibited minimal reduction in relative water content (RWC) and photosynthetic efficiency (PN), along with increased stomatal conductance (gs) and chlorophyll content and reduced photoinhibition under drought stress. Biochemically, AHK-200 showed higher antioxidant enzyme activity (APX, CAT, SOD, GR, POD) and osmolyte accumulation (proline), which are critical for mitigating oxidative stress. At the molecular level, drought-related genes such as DREB2C, DREB2D, and RD22 were upregulated, supporting AHK-200 resilience to drought stress. Additionally, AHK-200 displayed elevated mineral concentrations, including Na, K, Ca, and Fe, which are essential for cellular homeostasis and stress adaptation. Conclusions: Overall, our study provides a comprehensive understanding of the drought tolerance mechanisms in AHK-200, highlighting its potential for use in breeding drought-tolerant genotypes in cucurbits and related crops. This research could guide future efforts in gene manipulation and transgenic development aimed at enhancing drought resistance and yield potential in crop plants. Furthermore, DREB2C, DREB2D, and RD22 transcription factors regulate many pathways related to stress; the overexpression of these genes may open a new avenue in melon improvement against drought stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genome-Scale Metabolic Networks in Plants)
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