Genetics and Management for Enhanced Fruit Crop Production

A Special Issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747) belonging to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2026) | Viewed by 1946

Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: coconut molecular breeding; coconut genomics; GWAS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Tropical Agriculture and Forestry, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
Interests: molecular breeding; identification and validation of elite alleles; gene function validation via genetic and molecular levels; gene network
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fruit crop production faces numerous challenges, including climate change, pests, diseases, and the increasing demand for high-quality, sustainable yields. This Special Issue focuses on the integration of genetics, breeding, and advanced management strategies to enhance fruit crop productivity, resilience, and nutritional value. We welcome cutting-edge research on the following topics:

  1. Genetic improvement (genomic selection, CRISPR/Cas9, marker-assisted breeding, and genetic dissecting of important agronomic traits).
  2. Disease and pest resistance (molecular mechanisms and biocontrol strategies).
  3. Sustainable cultivation practices (organic farming and nutrient management).
  4. Postharvest technologies (storage optimization and shelf-life extension).

By combining molecular genetics with agronomic innovations, this Special Issue aims to provide actionable insights for researchers, breeders, and agronomists to improve fruit crop sustainability and global food security.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Yong Xiao
Prof. Dr. Wei Xia
Guest Editors

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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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

  • fruit crop genetics
  • disease resistance
  • CRISP/CAS9
  • sustainable horticulture
  • postharvest management
  • genomic selection

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 2367 KB  
Article
Genetic Characterization of RNA Recognition Motif (RRM)-Containing Genes in Coconut Palm
by Shazia Rehman, Runan Chen, Jiajia Li, Yanhong Gao, Yalan Feng, Zhuang Yang, Zifen Lao, Saraj Bahadur, Zainab Maqbool, Yong Xiao, Jie Luo and Wei Xia
Plants 2026, 15(4), 633; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15040633 - 16 Feb 2026
Viewed by 1608
Abstract
RNA recognition motif (RRM)-containing proteins are important regulators involved in diverse cellular processes, including splicing, stability, transport, and translation of transcripts. However, their comprehensive characterization remains limited in perennial tropical crops like Cocos nucifera. In this study, we performed a genome-wide analysis [...] Read more.
RNA recognition motif (RRM)-containing proteins are important regulators involved in diverse cellular processes, including splicing, stability, transport, and translation of transcripts. However, their comprehensive characterization remains limited in perennial tropical crops like Cocos nucifera. In this study, we performed a genome-wide analysis of RRM genes in coconut, identifying a total of 326 CnRRM genes. Phylogenetic classification based on complete RRM domain sequences grouped these proteins into eleven clades (I–XI), each exhibiting distinct variations in motif length and domain architecture. Transcriptome profiling revealed diverse expression patterns across coconut tissues, ranging from constitutive to highly tissue-specific. The CnHRLP1 gene, encoding an hnRNP-like multi-RRM protein, was selected for further functional analysis. Subcellular localization showed that the CnHRLP1 protein is predominantly nuclear, and its constitutive overexpression in Arabidopsis led to a severe dwarf phenotype. RNA-seq analysis demonstrated that CnHRLP1 overexpression broadly reshaped the transcriptome. KEGG pathway enrichment highlighted a significant impact on plant hormone signaling, particularly the gibberellin (GA) pathway. CnHRLP1 overexpression induced the coordinated downregulation of key GA biosynthetic genes (KO, KAO1/2, GA20ox, GA3ox) and the upregulation of GA catabolic genes (GA2ox2/6), suggesting its role in modulating GA homeostasis. In conclusion, this study provides a genomic and functional overview of the coconut RRM protein family and establishes that the hnRNP-like protein CnHRLP1 functions as a transcriptional regulator that inhibits vegetative growth, potentially through the suppression of gibberellin biosynthesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetics and Management for Enhanced Fruit Crop Production)
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