Transcription Factors Controlling Plant Secondary Metabolism

Dear Colleagues, 

Plants are surrounded by a myriad of abiotic and biotic stress stimuli along with their sessile nature. Accumulation of plant secondary metabolites is considered a response to environmental cues; thus, their energy-consuming synthesis needs to be fine-tuned and tightly regulated in time (e.g., developmental stages) and space (e.g., tissues and organs). Transcription factors are essential as players of transcriptional regulation of target biosynthetic genes and are grouped into different subfamilies according to their DNA binding domain among which there are myeloblastosis (MYB) and basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) superfamilies ubiquitous in eukaryotes and enormously expanded in plants. TFs regulators integrate internal and external signals, bind to corresponding cis-elements in the promoter regions to modulate the expression of enzyme-encoding genes, thereby controlling several aspects of plant growth, development, and adaptation to the environment. Additionally, some of them interact with other transcription factors to form multimeric complexes controlling specific pathways like anthocyanins biosynthesis. Understanding how master regulatory genes control the expression of specific metabolic pathways in model and crop species will boost plant molecular farming strategies for the selective accumulation of biologically active plant-derived metabolites via different approaches spanning from conventional breeding to genetic engineering.

This Special Issue of Plants will highlight the function, evolution, and diversity of transcription factors regulating plant secondary metabolites, their role in the interactions of plants with their environment as well as strategies aiming at the selecting the accumulation of bioactive compounds by targeting the expression or activity of key TFs.

Dr. Laura Bassolino
Prof. Dr. Katia Petroni
Guest Editors

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• plant secondary metabolites
• transcription factors
• flavonoids
• anthocyanins
• terpenoids
• cannabinoids
• carotenoids
• cereal and other crops
• model species
• functional genomics
• genetic engineering
• Assisted Development Techniques (TEA)