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Plants
Special Issues
Molecular Regulation of Seed Development and Germination
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Molecular Regulation of Seed Development and Germination

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 1125

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Justyna Fidler

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: plant molecular biology and biochemistry; phytohormones; abscisic acid metabolism and signaling; molecular regulation of seed development and germination
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, Molecular Regulation of Seed Development and Germination, will focus on the latest discoveries on molecular mechanisms that control seed development, dormancy, and germination. It aims to outline the role of molecular factors, proteins, and plant hormones, and the interactions of different signaling pathways involved in these processes. Additionally, attention will be paid to how changing environmental conditions and abiotic and biotic stresses influence these mechanisms. This is crucial for understanding the ability of seeds to adapt and survive in different environments and exploring ways to enhance this process through seed priming. The Special Issue will also aim to present new tools and technologies used to study molecular mechanisms of seed development and germination, including the application of genomics, genome editing, and proteomics. These studies have the potential to support the development of more resilient plants, which is particularly important in the context of climate change and the pressing demand for improved agricultural productivity.

Dr. Justyna Fidler
Guest Editor

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

  • seed dormancy
  • seed development
  • germination
  • phytohormones
  • abscisic acid
  • gibberellins
  • signaling pathways
  • environmental stresses
  • priming

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 3503 KB  
Article
Discovery of Hub Genes Involved in Seed Development and Lipid Biosynthesis in Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) Using UID Transcriptome Sequencing
by Siyang Zhao, Chengjiang Ruan, Alexey A. Dmitriev and Hyun Uk Kim
Plants 2025, 14(15), 2436; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152436 - 6 Aug 2025
Viewed by 484
Abstract
Sea buckthorn is a vital woody oil species valued for its role in soil conservation and its bioactive seed oil, which is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and other compounds. However, low seed oil content and small seed size are the main bottlenecks [...] Read more.
Sea buckthorn is a vital woody oil species valued for its role in soil conservation and its bioactive seed oil, which is rich in unsaturated fatty acids and other compounds. However, low seed oil content and small seed size are the main bottlenecks restricting the development and utilization of sea buckthorn. In this study, we tested the seed oil content and seed size of 12 sea buckthorn cultivars and identified the key genes and transcription factors involved in seed development and lipid biosynthesis via the integration of UID RNA-seq (Unique Identifiers, UID), WGCNA (weighted gene co-expression network analysis) and qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time PCR) analysis. The results revealed five cultivars (CY02, CY11, CY201309, CY18, CY21) with significantly higher oil contents and five cultivars (CY10, CY201309, CY18, CY21, CY27) with significantly heavier seeds. A total of 10,873 genes were significantly differentially expressed between the S1 and S2 seed developmental stages of the 12 cultivars. WGCNA was used to identify five modules related to seed oil content and seed weight/size, and 417 candidate genes were screened from these modules. Among them, multiple hub genes and transcription factors were identified; for instance, ATP synthase, ATP synthase subunit D and Acyl carrier protein 1 were related to seed development; plastid–lipid-associated protein, acyltransferase-like protein, and glycerol-3-phosphate 2-O-acyltransferase 6 were involved in lipid biosynthesis; and transcription factors DOF1.2, BHLH137 and ERF4 were associated with seed enlargement and development. These findings provide crucial insights into the genetic regulation of seed traits in sea buckthorn, offering targets for future breeding efforts aimed at improving oil yield and quality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Regulation of Seed Development and Germination)
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22 pages, 5319 KB  
Article
Exogenous Sucrose Improves the Vigor of Aged Safflower Seeds by Mediating Fatty Acid Metabolism and Glycometabolism
by Tang Lv, Lin Zhong, Juan Li, Cuiping Chen, Bin Xian, Tao Zhou, Chaoxiang Ren, Jiang Chen, Jin Pei and Jie Yan
Plants 2025, 14(15), 2301; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14152301 - 25 Jul 2025
Viewed by 438
Abstract
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds, rich in triacylglycerols, have poor fatty acid-to-sugar conversion during storage, affecting longevity and vigor. Previous experiments have shown that the aging of safflower seeds is mainly related to the impairment of energy metabolism pathways such as glycolysis, [...] Read more.
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) seeds, rich in triacylglycerols, have poor fatty acid-to-sugar conversion during storage, affecting longevity and vigor. Previous experiments have shown that the aging of safflower seeds is mainly related to the impairment of energy metabolism pathways such as glycolysis, fatty acid degradation, and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. The treatment with exogenous sucrose can partially promote the germination of aged seeds. However, the specific pathways through which exogenous sucrose promotes the germination of aged safflower seeds have not yet been elucidated. This study aimed to explore the molecular mechanism by which exogenous sucrose enhances the vitality of aged seeds. Phenotypically, it promoted germination and seedling establishment in CDT-aged seeds but not in unaged ones. Biochemical analyses revealed increased soluble sugars and fatty acids in aged seeds with sucrose treatment. Enzyme activity and transcriptome sequencing showed up-regulation of key enzymes and genes in related metabolic pathways in aged seeds, not in unaged ones. qPCR confirmed up-regulation of genes for triacylglycerol and fatty acid-to-sugar conversion. Transmission electron microscopy showed a stronger connection between the glyoxylate recycler and oil bodies, accelerating oil body degradation. In conclusion, our research shows that exogenous sucrose promotes aged safflower seed germination by facilitating triacylglycerol hydrolysis, fatty acid conversion, and glycometabolism, rather than simply serving as a source of energy to supplement the energy deficiency of aged seeds. These findings offer practical insights for aged seeds, especially offering an effective solution to the aging problem of seeds with high oil content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Regulation of Seed Development and Germination)
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