Special Issues
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Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology Volume II

Submission Deadline: 31 December 2025 (closed) View: 806 Submit to Journal

Guest Editors

Prof. Dr. Qiangsheng Wu

Email:wuqiangsh@163.com

Affiliation: College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, China

Homepage:

Research Interests: fruit mycorrhizae; drought physiology in citrus plants; polyamine; glomalin

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Prof. Dr. Nong Zhou

Email: erhaizn@126.com

Affiliation: College of Biology and Food Engineering, Chongqing Three Gorges University, China

Homepage:

Research Interests: Chinese medicinal plants, secondary metabolism, soil microorganisms

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Associated Prof. Dr. Chun-Yan Liu

Email: chunyanliu_2009@126.com

Affiliation: College of Horticulture and Gardening, Yangtze University, China

Homepage:

Research Interests: Amino acids, auxin, tea, secondary metabolism

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Summary

Plants have evolved diverse secondary metabolic pathways, some serving as a portal for human demand for natural substances such as medicines, nutrition, agrochemicals, and chemical additives. However, most 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. This thematic issue aims to showcase studies that focus on (1) the 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

    A Transcriptional Suppressor NTL8 Interacts with CONSTANS to Control Photoperiod-Mediated Flowering Time in Arabidopsis thaliana

    Yue Jin, Xiaoying Tang, Bingke Wei, Lulu Zhi, Yan Mao, García-Caparrós Pedro, Xiangyang Hu
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2026.067796
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology Volume II)
    Abstract Plants perceive rhythmic photoperiodic signals to modulate flowering time. In Arabidopsis thaliana, long-day light conditions accelerate flowering through CONSTANS (CO)-activated FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) signal pathway. The CO protein abundance presents circadian oscillation, enabling precise regulation of FT transcription. NTL8 belongs to the NAC transcription factor family and is reported to control leaf trichome development. Here, we reported that NTL8 regulated flowering time in Arabidopsis, because overexpressing NTL8 significantly delayed flowering time, whereas loss-of-function mutant of NTL8 accelerated flowering time. NTL8 also presented circadian expression, maintaining elevated transcript levels during the daytime. Biochemical and genetic analyses revealed that More >

  • Open Access

    ARTICLE

    Early Chemodiversity of Alkaloids in Seedlings Annona Species

    Iván De-la-Cruz-Chacón, Christian Anabí Riley-Saldaña, Marisol Castro-Moreno, Claudia Azucena Durán-Ruiz, Alma Rosa González-Esquinca
    Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany, Vol.94, No.11, pp. 3509-3526, 2025, DOI:10.32604/phyton.2025.072586
    (This article belongs to the Special Issue: Plant Secondary Metabolism and Functional Biology Volume II)
    Abstract The seedling phase represents an initial and critical stage for the establishment of individuals in the ecosystem. During this stage, specialized metabolites contribute to survival; however, studies analyzing the presence of these molecules and the reasons for their production and accumulation are still scarce. Annonaceae is a botanical family recognized for the chemodiversity of its secondary metabolites; nearly 1000 alkaloids have been reported in approximately 150 adult specimens. The aim of this study was to determine whether alkaloid biosynthesis in Annonaceae is expressed from early stages. For this purpose, Annona macroprophyllata, Annona muricata, Annona purpurea, and Annona reticulata seedlings,… More >

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