Special Issues

Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology

Submission Deadline: 30 July 2024 (closed) View: 521

Guest Editors

Dr. Cheng Song, West Anhui University, China
Dr. Muhammad Aamir Manzoor, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, China
Dr. Muhammad Abdullah, University of Queensland, Australia

Summary

Plants have evolved diverse secondary metabolic pathways, some of which serve as a portal for human demand for natural substances such as medicines, nutrition, agrochemicals, and chemical additives. However, the majority of secondary metabolites have low amounts, making them challenging to acquire on a large scale. Secondary metabolites are often spatiotemporally biosynthesized and are capable of adapting to and surviving a variety of biotic and abiotic stressors. Meanwhile, exogenous stimuli can initiate a cascade of regulatory processes, which increase the concentration of secondary metabolites. Recently, it was concluded that secondary metabolites in plants are not secondary because they contribute significantly to plant growth and development. Further investigation into their biosynthesis, regulation, and functions as stress-resistant compounds will lay the foundation for expanding the proportion of plant secondary metabolites. The aim of this thematic issue is to showcase studies that focus on (1) Identification of key genes involved in the regulation or biosynthesis of secondary metabolites; (2) Integrated application of omics technologies (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) in secondary metabolites; (3) Heterologous production of valuable secondary metabolites by metabolic engineering.


We encourage original research and review articles on any of the following topics (but not limited to):

(1) Biosynthesis and molecular control of natural products made from plants

(2) Multi-omics approaches to the investigation of secondary metabolic pathways

(3) Metabolic engineering-based synthetic biology of valuable secondary metabolites

(4) Stress tolerance and physiological regulation mechanism of plants


Keywords

Secondary metabolism, Multi-omics, Plant bioengineering, genomic variation, stress biology

Published Papers


  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Effects of Water-Fertilizer Coupling on Growth Characteristics and Water Use Efficiency of Camellia petelotii Seedlings

    Liangyu Luo, Ru Li, Daocheng Ma, Yijin Wang, Linghui Wang
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.11, pp. 2927-2947, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.056429
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract Camellia petelotii (Merr.) Sealy is an endangered Chinese native species that originates from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. Previous research demonstrated that proper water and fertilizer treatments could improve the growth and quality of Camellia species. This study uses a three-factor, five-level quadratic rotational combination experimental design to investigate the impact of water-fertilizer coupling on plant growth characteristics and the most suitable treatment for 24-month-old grafted C. petelotii seedlings. The experimental design includes irrigation levels [30%, 40%, 55%, 70%, 80% of field capacity (FC)], nitrogen application (0, 2.17, 5.43, 8.70, 10.87 g·plant−1), and phosphorus application (0, 0.96, 2.40,… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Response of the Ginseng C2H2-Type Zinc Finger Protein Family PgZFPs Gene to Methyl Jasmonate Regulation

    Yue Jiang, Lingyu Liu, Kangyu Wang, Mingzhu Zhao, Ping Chen, Jun Lei, Yanfang Wang, Meiping Zhang, Yi Wang, Guang Chen
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.11, pp. 3055-3071, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.056384
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract The main active components of ginseng are ginsenosides, which play significant roles in treating cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and providing antioxidant effects. Ginsenosides are primarily synthesized through the mevalonate pathway and the methylerythritol phosphate pathway. Many key enzyme genes involved in this biosynthetic process have been cloned and validated, yet the regulatory functions of transcription factors remain unclear. The C2H2-type zinc finger protein family, one of the largest families of transcription factors, is crucial in plant growth and development, response to biotic and abiotic stresses, and regulation of secondary metabolism. This study, based on the ginseng transcriptome More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Integrated Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Analysis for the Mechanism Underlying White-to-Pink Petal Color Transition in Hibiscus mutabilis Flowers

    Xiaodong Shi, Tingyu Wang, Sui Ai, Jiasi Li
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.10, pp. 2571-2581, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.056606
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract Cotton rose (Hibiscus mutabilis) is a well-known ornamental plant that produces large flowers of vibrant colors. However, metabolites in H. mutabilis flowers with vibrant color have not been fully understood. By performing a combined analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics data, we here explored mechanisms for the production of primary active compounds in this plant. Multivariate statistics unveiled differences in flavonoid metabolism between white and pink flowers, with pink flowers exhibiting a greater flavonoid abundance. The white-to-pink transition of cotton rose flowers may be attributed to pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside formation. On examining the expression of genes related to the structure More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Integrated Transcriptomics and Metabolomics Analysis for the Mechanism Underlying White-to-Pink Petal Color Transition in <i>Hibiscus mutabilis</i> Flowers

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Comparative Analysis of Organic and Compound Fertilizers on the Yield and Metabolites of Platostoma palustre

    Suhua Huang, Hao Chen, Fan Wei, Changqian Quan, Meihua Xu, Zhining Chen, Jingchun Li, Hongyu Li, Lijun Shi, Danfeng Tang
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.10, pp. 2645-2662, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.053492
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract To explore the effect of fertilizers on the yield and quality of Platostoma palustre, in this study, P. palustre was utilized as the research material, and field experiments were conducted with different application rates of compound fertilizer and organic fertilizer and non-targeted metabolomics analysis was further employed to compare and analyze the differences in the metabolic components between the compound fertilizer and organic fertilizer treatments. The results of field experiments demonstrated that both compound and organic fertilizers could promote the fresh weight, shade dry weight, and dry weight of P. palustre, with 450 kg hm−2 compound fertilizer and 4500… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Genome-Wide Identification of the MYB Gene Family and Screening of Potential Genes Involved in Fatty Acid Biosynthesis in Walnut

    Dongxue Su, Jiarui Zheng, Yuwei Yi, Shuyuan Zhang, Luxin Feng, Danzeng Quzhen, De Qiong, Weiwei Zhang, Qijian Wang, Feng Xu
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.9, pp. 2317-2337, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.055350
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract The multifaceted roles of MYB transcriptional regulators are pivotal in orchestrating the complex processes of secondary metabolism, stress tolerance mechanisms, and life cycle progression and development. This study extensively examined the JrMYB genes using whole genome and transcriptomic data, focusing on identifying putative MYB genes associated with fatty acid metabolism. 126 MYB genes were identified within the walnut genome, characterized by hydrophilic proteins spanning lengths ranging from 78 to 1890 base pairs. Analysis of cis-acting elements within the promoter regions of MYB genes revealed many elements linked to cell development, environmental stress, and phytohormones. Transcriptomic data was utilized… More >

    Graphic Abstract

    Genome-Wide Identification of the <i>MYB</i> Gene Family and Screening of Potential Genes Involved in Fatty Acid Biosynthesis in Walnut

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Two Tomato Cultivars with Different Shelf-Life Traits

    Abdul Karim Amin, Yan He, Xianglong Wang, Pengwei Li, Muhammad Ahmad Hassan, Mohammad Yousof Soltani, Yiling Zhang, Mohammad Alem Amin, Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai, Yajing Liu, Songhu Wang
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.8, pp. 2075-2093, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.054641
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a perishable fruit because of its fast water loss and susceptibility to pathogens in the post-harvest stage, which leads to huge economic losses every year. In this study, firstly from 19 tomato cultivars, we screened out two cultivars, Riogrand and SalarF1, having long and short shelf-life spans, respectively. Secondly, shelf-life analysis was carried out for both cultivars at room temperature. Results exhibited that Riogrand showed higher firmness and less weight loss than SalarF1. The ethylene production was higher in SalarF1, compared with Riogrand during post-harvest storages. We performed transcriptomic analysis of both… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Genome-Wide Identification of ABCC Gene Subfamily Members and Functional Analysis of CsABCC11 in Camellia sinensis

    Mingyuan Luo, Shiyu Tian, Xinzhuan Yao, Yue Wan, Zhouzhuoer Chen, Zifan Yang, Huagen Hao, Fei Liu, Hu Tang, Litang Lu
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.8, pp. 2019-2036, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.052938
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter is a gene superfamily in plants. ATP-binding cassette subfamily C (ABCC) protein is a multidrug resistance-associated (MRP) transporter. They play various roles in plant growth, development, and secondary metabolite transport. However, there are few studies on ABCC transporters in tea plants. In this study, genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis of epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) content in 108 strains of Kingbird revealed that CsABCCs may be involved in EGCG transport. We identified 25 CsABCC genes at the genomic level of the tea plant, their phylogenetic tree, gene structure, targeted miRNA and other bioinformatics… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Metabolomic Analysis of the Anthocyanins Associated with Different Colors of Cymbidium goeringii in Guizhou, China

    Dongbo Wu, Shuang Qu, Lianwen Shen, Shengqun Chen, Xia Jiang, Ai Rao, Yuxue Zhao, Yueyun Wang
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.7, pp. 1455-1466, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.051652
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract Cymbidium goeringii is an economically important ornamental plant, and flower color is one of the main features of C. goeringii that contributes to its high economic value. To clarify the molecular mechanisms underlying the role of anthocyanins in mediating differences in color among varieties, liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was used to perform anthocyanin-targeted metabolomics of seven C. goeringii varieties, including ‘Jin Qian Yuan’ (JQY), ‘Jin Xiu Qian Yuan’ (JXQY), ‘Miao Jiang Su Die’ (MJSD), ‘Qian Ming Su’ (QMS), ‘Shi Chan’ (SC), and ‘Yang Ming Su’ (YMS), as well as the C. goeringii. We detected 64 anthocyanins, including cyanidins, delphinidins,… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Formation Mechanism of Anthocyanins Light-Independent Synthesis in Chrysanthemum

    Fangye Liu, Jiaping Qu, Yajun Li, Jiawei Fan, Yumeng Cui, Jingwen Wu, Xueqi Gu, Xia Li, He Huang
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.7, pp. 1599-1621, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.051386
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract Chrysanthemum × morifolium is a horticultural crop which plays a vital role in the flower industry with significant economic value and has a cultivation history of over three thousand years in China. The accumulation of anthocyanins is always affected by light. Here, we revealed that anthocyanin accumulation is highly dependent on light in ‘2021135’ genotype chrysanthemum, while it is light-independent in ‘2001402’ genotype chrysanthemum. However, no literature has been reported regarding the non-photosensitive chrysanthemum in anthocyanins light-independent synthesis pathways. Through the phenotype analysis of 44 F generations, we found that light-independence is a dominant trait which… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Integrative Analysis of Transcriptome and Phenolic Compounds Profile Provides Insights into the Quality of Soursop (Annona muricata L.) Fruit

    Yolotzin Apatzingán Palomino-Hermosillo, Ángel Elpidio Díaz-Jasso, Rosendo Balois-Morales, Verónica Alhelí Ochoa-Jiménez, Pedro Ulises Bautista-Rosales, Guillermo Berumen-Varela
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.7, pp. 1717-1732, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.052216
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract Soursop (Annona muricata L.) is a tropical fruit highly valued for its unique flavor, nutritional value, and health-promoting properties. The ripening process of soursop involves complex changes in gene expression and metabolite accumulation, which have been studied using various omics technologies. Transcriptome analysis has provided insights into the regulation of key genes involved in ripening, while metabolic compound analysis has revealed the presence of numerous bioactive compounds with potential health benefits. However, the integration of transcriptome and metabolite compound data has not been extensively explored in soursop. Therefore, in this paper, we present a comprehensive analysis… More >

  • Open Access

    REVIEW

    Plant Chemical Defenses against Insect Herbivores—Using the Wild Tobacco as a Model

    Guangwei Sun, Xuanhao Zhang, Yi Liu, Liguang Chai, Daisong Liu, Zhenguo Chen, Shiyou Lü
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.4, pp. 641-659, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.049285
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract The Nicotiana genus, commonly known as tobacco, holds significant importance as a crucial economic crop. Confronted with an abundance of herbivorous insects that pose a substantial threat to yield, tobacco has developed a diverse and sophisticated array of mechanisms, establishing itself as a model of plant ecological defense. This review provides a concise overview of the current understanding of tobacco’s defense strategies against herbivores. Direct defenses, exemplified by its well-known tactic of secreting the alkaloid nicotine, serve as a potent toxin against a broad spectrum of herbivorous pests. Moreover, in response to herbivore attacks, tobacco enhances… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Transcriptome-Wide Identification and Functional Analysis of PgSQE08-01 Gene in Ginsenoside Biosynthesis in Panax ginseng C. A. Mey.

    Lei Zhu, Lihe Hou, Yu Zhang, Yang Jiang, Yi Wang, Meiping Zhang, Mingzhu Zhao, Kangyu Wang
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.2, pp. 313-327, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.047938
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract Panax ginseng C. A. Mey. is an important plant species used in traditional Chinese medicine, whose primary active ingredient is a ginsenoside. Ginsenoside biosynthesis is not only regulated by transcription factors but also controlled by a variety of structural genes. Nonetheless, the molecular mechanism underlying ginsenoside biosynthesis has always been a topic in the discussion of ginseng secondary metabolites. Squalene epoxidase (SQE) is a key enzyme in the mevalonic acid pathway, which affects the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites such as terpenoid. Using ginseng transcriptome, expression, and ginsenoside content databases, this study employed bioinformatic methods to systematically… More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Analysis and Verification of the Conserved MYB Binding Element in the DFR Promoter in Compositae

    Jialei Guo, Fengzhen Li, Guomin Shi, Weimin Zhao, Tao He
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.93, No.2, pp. 343-353, 2024, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2024.047429
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology)
    Abstract Anthocyanins, ubiquitous in the Compositae family, are regulated by MYB (v-myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog), playing an important role in anthocyanin synthesis. In this study, we analyzed the regulation pathway in which the MYB protein of subgroup 6 promotes dihydroflavonol reductase (DFR) expression in Compositae, and validated this law in Saussurea medusa through yeast one-hybrid experiments. Our results showed that MYB and DFR underwent purification selection, DFR promoter analysis revealed the presence of MYB binding site (GAGTTGAATGG) and bHLH binding site (CANNTG) at the sense strand of 84–116 nucleotide residues from the start codon. These two More >

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