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Plants
Special Issues
Applications of Bioinformatics in Plant Science
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Applications of Bioinformatics in Plant Science

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1394

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hua Zhong

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Guest Editor
Population Sciences in the Pacific Program, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
Interests: population genetics; genomics; bioinformatics; post-GWAS
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Junfei Ma

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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32608, USA
Interests: plant; RNA structure; viroid; plant defense

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The rapid advancement of high-throughput technologies has generated large-scale datasets that offer unprecedented insights into plant biology. Bioinformatics plays a pivotal role in deciphering this complex information, enabling researchers to explore plant genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and epigenomics with enhanced precision. This Special Issue aims to highlight the cutting-edge applications of bioinformatics in plant science, including genome assembly, functional annotation, gene regulatory network analysis, trait mapping, and evolutionary studies. We welcome submissions that utilize novel computational approaches, databases, algorithms, and integrative analyses to solve key questions in plant biology. Studies involving model plants, crops, and non-model species are equally encouraged. By bridging computational innovation and plant research, this Issue seeks to foster collaboration and inspire future advancements in the field.

Dr. Hua Zhong
Guest Editor

Dr. Junfei Ma
Guest Editor Assistant

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

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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

  • plant bioinformatics
  • genomics
  • transcriptomics
  • functional annotation
  • computational biology
  • gene networks
  • genome-wide association studies (GWAS)
  • evolutionary genomics
  • plant systems biology
  • omics data integration

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 7432 KiB  
Article
Integration of mRNA and miRNA Analysis Reveals the Regulation of Salt Stress Response in Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.)
by Yaqian Liu, Danni Li, Yutong Qiao, Niannian Fan, Ruolin Gong, Hua Zhong, Yunfei Zhang, Linfen Lei, Jihong Hu and Jungang Dong
Plants 2025, 14(15), 2418; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152418 - 4 Aug 2025
Viewed by 313
Abstract
Soil salinization is a major constraint to global crop productivity, highlighting the need to identify salt tolerance genes and their molecular mechanisms. Here, we integrated mRNA and miRNA profile analyses to investigate the molecular basis of salt tolerance of an elite Brassica napus [...] Read more.
Soil salinization is a major constraint to global crop productivity, highlighting the need to identify salt tolerance genes and their molecular mechanisms. Here, we integrated mRNA and miRNA profile analyses to investigate the molecular basis of salt tolerance of an elite Brassica napus cultivar S268. Time-course RNA-seq analysis revealed dynamic transcriptional reprogramming under 215 mM NaCl stress, with 212 core genes significantly enriched in organic acid degradation and glyoxylate/dicarboxylate metabolism pathways. Combined with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and RT-qPCR validation, five candidate genes (WRKY6, WRKY70, NHX1, AVP1, and NAC072) were identified as the regulators of salt tolerance in rapeseed. Haplotype analysis based on association mapping showed that NAC072, ABI5, and NHX1 exhibited two major haplotypes that were significantly associated with salt tolerance variation under salt stress in rapeseed. Integrated miRNA-mRNA analysis and RT-qPCR identified three regulatory miRNA-mRNA pairs (bna-miR160a/BnaA03.BAG1, novel-miR-126/BnaA08.TPS9, and novel-miR-70/BnaA07.AHA1) that might be involved in S268 salt tolerance. These results provide novel insights into the post-transcriptional regulation of salt tolerance in B. napus, offering potential targets for genetic improvement. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioinformatics in Plant Science)
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16 pages, 4634 KiB  
Article
Dynamic Coordination of Alternative Splicing and Subgenome Expression Bias Underlies Rusty Root Symptom Response in Panax ginseng
by Jing Zhao, Juzuo Li, Xiujuan Lei, Peng Di, Hongwei Xun, Zhibin Zhang, Jian Zhang, Xiangru Meng and Yingping Wang
Plants 2025, 14(14), 2120; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14142120 - 9 Jul 2025
Viewed by 351
Abstract
Ginseng rusty root symptoms (GRSs) compromise the yield and quality of Panax ginseng. While transcriptomic analyses have demonstrated extensive remodeling of stress signaling networks, the post-transcriptional defense circuitry remains obscure. We profiled alternative splicing (AS) in three phloem tissues, the healthy phloem [...] Read more.
Ginseng rusty root symptoms (GRSs) compromise the yield and quality of Panax ginseng. While transcriptomic analyses have demonstrated extensive remodeling of stress signaling networks, the post-transcriptional defense circuitry remains obscure. We profiled alternative splicing (AS) in three phloem tissues, the healthy phloem (AG), the non-reddened phloem neighboring lesions (BG), and the reddened lesion core (CG), to delineate AS reprogramming during GRS progression. The frequency of AS was sharply elevated in CG, with intron retention predominating. Extensive gains and losses of splice events indicate large-scale rewiring of the splice network. Overlapping differentially alternative spliced genes (DAGs) identified in both CG vs AG and CG vs BG contrasts were significantly enriched for RNA–spliceosome assembly and stress–response pathways, revealing a conserved post-transcriptional response associated with lesion formation. Integrative analysis of differentially expressed genes uncovered 671 loci under dual regulation; functional classification categorized these genes in receptor-like kinase signaling and chromatin-remodeling modules, underscoring the synergy between AS and transcriptional control. Moreover, the B subgenome disproportionately contributed stress-responsive transcripts in diseased tissue, suggesting an adaptive, subgenome-biased strategy. These findings demonstrate that dynamic AS remodeling and subgenome expression bias jointly orchestrate ginseng defense against GRS and provide a framework for breeding disease-resilient crops. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioinformatics in Plant Science)
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Review

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36 pages, 3621 KiB  
Review
Harnessing Molecular Phylogeny and Chemometrics for Taxonomic Validation of Korean Aromatic Plants: Integrating Genomics with Practical Applications
by Adnan Amin and Seonjoo Park
Plants 2025, 14(15), 2364; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152364 - 1 Aug 2025
Viewed by 503
Abstract
Plant genetics and chemotaxonomic analysis are considered key parameters in understanding evolution, plant diversity and adaptation. Korean Peninsula has a unique biogeographical landscape that supports various aromatic plant species, each with considerable ecological, ethnobotanical, and pharmacological significance. This review aims to provide a [...] Read more.
Plant genetics and chemotaxonomic analysis are considered key parameters in understanding evolution, plant diversity and adaptation. Korean Peninsula has a unique biogeographical landscape that supports various aromatic plant species, each with considerable ecological, ethnobotanical, and pharmacological significance. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the chemotaxonomic traits, biological activities, phylogenetic relationships and potential applications of Korean aromatic plants, highlighting their significance in more accurate identification. Chemotaxonomic investigations employing techniques such as gas chromatography mass spectrometry, high-performance liquid chromatography, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy have enabled the identification of essential oils and specialized metabolites that serve as valuable taxonomic and diagnostic markers. These chemical traits play essential roles in species delimitation and in clarifying interspecific variation. The biological activities of selected taxa are reviewed, with emphasis on antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytotoxic effects, supported by bioassay-guided fractionation and compound isolation. In parallel, recent advances in phylogenetic reconstruction employing DNA barcoding, internal transcribed spacer regions, and chloroplast genes such as rbcL and matK are examined for their role in clarifying taxonomic uncertainties and inferring evolutionary lineages. Overall, the search period was from year 2001 to 2025 and total of 268 records were included in the study. By integrating phytochemical profiling, pharmacological evidence, and molecular systematics, this review highlights the multifaceted significance of Korean endemic aromatic plants. The conclusion highlights the importance of multidisciplinary approaches including metabolomics and phylogenomics in advancing our understanding of species diversity, evolutionary adaptation, and potential applications. Future research directions are proposed to support conservation efforts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Applications of Bioinformatics in Plant Science)
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