The Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation of Bamboo Growth and Development

Dear Colleagues,

Bamboo, a woody perennial grass, comprises 91 genera and over 1,600 species, ranging from small plants to giant timber. Evolving 30–40 million years ago, bamboo is categorized into two types: sympodial (clumping) and monopodial (running). Sympodial bamboo forms tufts, while monopodial bamboo spreads via underground rhizomes. As a versatile, rapidly renewable resource, bamboo holds significant ecological, economic, and cultural value, aiding climate change mitigation by sequestering carbon and conserving soil. However, its cultivation and use faces challenges due to low genetic diversity from asexual reproduction, irregular flowering, and climate change impacts.

Research into the genetic basis of bamboo growth and development is essential for sustainable management and utilization. The proposed Special Issue, “The Genetic and Epigenetic Regulation of Bamboo Growth and Development” in Plants, aims to enhance the understanding of the molecular, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms behind bamboo’s unique growth processes. This collection invites original research, reviews, and perspectives on genetic and epigenetic factors involved in shoot development, lignification, rhizome growth, flowering, stress tolerance, and pest resistance. By uncovering these molecular mechanisms, this Special Issue seeks to optimize bamboo productivity and quality, providing a platform for sharing innovative methodologies, insights, and frameworks from researchers, academics, and industry experts worldwide.

Possible topics for this Special Issue include the following:

• Gene expression and regulation in bamboo growth and development;
• Role of transcription factors in bamboo internode elongation and lignification;
• Epigenetic modifications influencing bamboo growth, including DNA and RNA methylation and histone modification;
• Auxin, gibberellin, and cytokinin signaling in bamboo internode elongation;
• Regulation of secondary cell wall biosynthesis in bamboo;
• Non-coding RNAs in growth regulation and stress adaptation in bamboo;
• Environmental effects on gene expression and epigenetic changes in bamboo;
• Comparative genomics of bamboo with other monocots;
• Epigenetic inheritance and transgenerational adaptation in bamboo;
• Advances in CRISPR and gene editing for bamboo improvement.

We believe that this Special Issue will significantly enrich current knowledge on bamboo epigenetics and serve as a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and bamboo industry professionals. By encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange, we can speed up the development of sustainable strategies for bamboo cultivation, conservation, and use. We also look forward to potential collaborations between plant science conferences and the Plants journal, which would further enhance research dissemination and foster connections among experts in the field.

Prof. Dr. Qiang Wei
Prof. Dr. Muthusamy Ramakrishnan
Dr. Zishan Ahmad
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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-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.

• bamboo growth regulation
• genetic regulation
• epigenetics
• DNA methylation
• histone modification
• transcription factors
• auxin and gibberellin signaling
• cell wall biosynthesis
• non-coding RNAs
• comparative genomics
• CRISPR
• bamboo stress adaptation