Submit to IJMS Review for IJMS Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Molecular Approach to Fern Development

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2024) | Viewed by 7340

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Helena Fernández

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Area of Plant Physiology, Department of Organisms and Systems Biology, University of Oviedo, 33071 Oviedo, Spain
Interests: apomixis; biotechnology; gametophyte; micropropagation; Monilophytes; plant development; plant growth regulators; plant reproduction; proteomics; transcriptomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Most part of published information so far about ferns, foccuses on the existing biodiversity, referring to aspects such as their phylogenetics relationship, taxonomy, morphology, ecology or evolution. The arrival of new and innovative techniques applied to the study of ferns has permitted a more widespread use of sophisticated instrumentation opening up new horizons in the cellular and molecular biology approach to the study of ferns as a result. We are recently witnessing a continuous drip of works that accounts for the contribution these plants can have to decipher the cues operating behind plant development, and also to take benefit from their biotechnologial applications in different fields such as the ornamental industry, agronomy, environment, medicine, etc. The special issue on ferns should provide readers with freshly information on the most recent advances on their genome, development, the use in evo-devo research, and their multiple biotecnlogical applications

Extant ferns represent a valuable genetic legacy as they are among the oldest lineages of plant on Earth, being descendants of the first plants that evolved vascular tissue, around 410 million years ago. Yet, this plant group, now known as Monylophytes, have received scant attention, in relation to the angioperm group, which relegated them to the background, after a splendid past. Increasingly, researchers become more interested in these plants, and sometimes this is possible by the advent of high-throughput technologies, such as the “omics”, that allow us to advance in a greater knowledge of their elusive genome. Ferns had to coping with the new environmental conditions, which imposed variations in water availability and temperature, as well as increased exposure to radiation, thus demanding changes in body plant and modifications to cellular, physiological, and regulatory processes. Consequently, ferns represent a critical clade for comparative evolutionary studies in land plants. Moreover, ferns represent an unexploited genetic diversity that we could take advantage for improving plants by means genetic transfer technologies.

This ambitious issue is commited to offer readers newly research on genomics and proteomics, evolution and development, as well as possible biotechnological applications, in species belonging to the group of ferns.

Dr. Helena Fernández
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

apomixis
apogamy
asexual reproduction
fern
proteomics
genomics
plant development
evo-devo
plant biotechnology

Published Papers (5 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

19 pages, 4387 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Auxin Involvement in Ceratopteris Gametophyte Meristem Regeneration

by Kelley A. Withers, Athena Kvamme, Christopher E. Youngstrom, Rebekah M. Yarvis, Rachel Orpano, Gabriel P. Simons, Erin E. Irish and Chi-Lien Cheng

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(21), 15832; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms242115832 - 31 Oct 2023

Viewed by 757

Abstract

Growth and development of the Ceratopteris hermaphroditic gametophytes are dependent on cell proliferation in the marginal meristem, which when destroyed will regenerate at a new location on the body margin. We established a laser ablation method to destroy a single initial cell in the meristem. Ablation caused the cessation of cell proliferation accompanied by the disappearance of the expression of an auxin synthesis gene (CrTAA2) and a cell proliferation marker gene (CrWOXB). New meristem regeneration occurred within a predictable distance from the original two days post-ablation, signified by cell proliferation and the expression of CrTAA2. Treatment with the naturally occurring auxin indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), synthetic auxin 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), or the transport inhibitor naphthylphthalamic acid (NPA) altered positioning of the original marginal meristem toward the apex of the gametophyte. IAA altered positioning of the regenerated meristem after damaging the original meristem. A model of auxin involvement in the positioning of the marginal meristem in Ceratopteris is presented to encompass these results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Approach to Fern Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 2606 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Proteome and Interactome Linked to Metabolism, Genetic Information Processing, and Abiotic Stress in Gametophytes of Two Woodferns

by Sara Ojosnegros, José Manuel Alvarez, Jonas Grossmann, Valeria Gagliardini, Luis G. Quintanilla, Ueli Grossniklaus and Helena Fernández

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(15), 12429; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241512429 - 04 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1085

Abstract

Ferns and lycophytes have received scant molecular attention in comparison to angiosperms. The advent of high-throughput technologies allowed an advance towards a greater knowledge of their elusive genomes. In this work, proteomic analyses of heart-shaped gametophytes of two ferns were performed: the apomictic Dryopteris affinis ssp. affinis and its sexual relative Dryopteris oreades. In total, a set of 218 proteins shared by these two gametophytes were analyzed using the STRING database, and their proteome associated with metabolism, genetic information processing, and responses to abiotic stress is discussed. Specifically, we report proteins involved in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleotides, the biosynthesis of amino acids and secondary compounds, energy, oxide-reduction, transcription, translation, protein folding, sorting and degradation, and responses to abiotic stresses. The interactome of this set of proteins represents a total network composed of 218 nodes and 1792 interactions, obtained mostly from databases and text mining. The interactions among the identified proteins of the ferns D. affinis and D. oreades, together with the description of their biological functions, might contribute to a better understanding of the function and development of ferns as well as fill knowledge gaps in plant evolution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Approach to Fern Development)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 4844 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Genes in the 20-Hydroxyecdysone Biosynthesis in the Fern Microsorum scolopendria towards Challenges with Foliar Application of Chitosan

by Siriporn Sripinyowanich, Sahanat Petchsri, Pumipat Tongyoo, Taek-Kyun Lee, Sukchan Lee and Won Kyong Cho

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(3), 2397; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24032397 - 25 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1611

Abstract

Microsorum scolopendria is an important medicinal plant that belongs to the Polypodiaceae family. In this study, we analyzed the effects of foliar spraying of chitosan on growth promotion and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) production in M. scolopendria. Treatment with chitosan at a concentration of 50 mg/L in both young and mature sterile fronds induced the highest increase in the amount of accumulated 20E. Using RNA sequencing, we identified 3552 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in response to chitosan treatment. The identified DEGs were associated with 236 metabolic pathways. We identified several DEGs involved in the terpenoid and steroid biosynthetic pathways that might be associated with secondary metabolite 20E biosynthesis. Eight upregulated genes involved in cholesterol and phytosterol biosynthetic pathway, five upregulated genes related to the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) and mevalonate (MVA) pathways, and several DEGs that are members of cytochrome P450s and ABC transporters were identified. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR confirmed the results of RNA-sequencing. Taken together, we showed that chitosan treatment increased plant dry weight and 20E accumulation in M. scolopendria. RNA-sequencing and DEG analyses revealed key enzymes that might be related to the production of the secondary metabolite 20E in M. scolopendria. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Approach to Fern Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

24 pages, 4040 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Shared Proteome of the Apomictic Fern Dryopteris affinis ssp. affinis and Its Sexual Relative Dryopteris oreades

by Sara Ojosnegros, José Manuel Alvarez, Jonas Grossmann, Valeria Gagliardini, Luis G. Quintanilla, Ueli Grossniklaus and Helena Fernández

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14027; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214027 - 14 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1773

Abstract

Ferns are a diverse evolutionary lineage, sister to the seed plants, which is of great ecological importance and has a high biotechnological potential. Fern gametophytes represent one of the simplest autotrophic, multicellular plant forms and show several experimental advantages, including a simple and space-efficient in vitro culture system. However, the molecular basis of fern growth and development has hardly been studied. Here, we report on a proteomic study that identified 417 proteins shared by gametophytes of the apogamous fern Dryopteris affinis ssp. affinis and its sexual relative Dryopteris oreades. Most proteins are predicted to localize to the cytoplasm, the chloroplast, or the nucleus, and are linked to enzymatic, binding, and structural activities. A subset of 145 proteins are involved in growth, reproduction, phytohormone signaling and biosynthesis, and gene expression, including homologs of SHEPHERD (SHD), HEAT SHOCK PROTEIN 90-5 (CR88), TRP4, BOBBER 1 (BOB1), FLAVONE 3’-O-METHYLTRANSFERASE 1 (OMT1), ZEAXANTHIN EPOXIDASE (ABA1), GLUTAMATE DESCARBOXYLASE 1 (GAD), and dsRNA-BINDING DOMAIN-LIKE SUPERFAMILY PROTEIN (HLY1). Nearly 25% of the annotated proteins are associated with responses to biotic and abiotic stimuli. As for biotic stress, the proteins PROTEIN SGT1 HOMOLOG B (SGT1B), SUPPRESSOR OF SA INSENSITIVE2 (SSI2), PHOSPHOLIPASE D ALPHA 1 (PLDALPHA1), SERINE/THREONINE-PROTEIN KINASE SRK2E (OST1), ACYL CARRIER PROTEIN 4 (ACP4), and NONHOST RESISTANCE TO P. S. PHASEOLICOLA1 (GLPK) are worth mentioning. Regarding abiotic stimuli, we found proteins associated with oxidative stress: SUPEROXIDE DISMUTASE[CU-ZN] 1 (CSD1), and GLUTATHIONE S-TRANSFERASE U19 (GSTU19), light intensity SERINE HYDROXYMETHYLTRANSFERASE 1 (SHM1) and UBIQUITIN-CONJUGATING ENZYME E2 35 (UBC35), salt and heavy metal stress included MITOCHONDRIAL PHOSPHATE CARRIER PROTEIN 3 (PHT3;1), as well as drought and thermotolerance: LEA7, DEAD-BOX ATP-DEPENDENT RNA HELICASE 38 (LOS4), and abundant heat-shock proteins and other chaperones. In addition, we identified interactomes using the STRING platform, revealing protein–protein associations obtained from co-expression, co-occurrence, text mining, homology, databases, and experimental datasets. By focusing on ferns, this proteomic study increases our knowledge on plant development and evolution, and may inspire future applications in crop species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Approach to Fern Development)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

13 pages, 1748 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Metabolite Content of the Post-Culture Medium of the Tree Fern Cyathea delgadii Sternb. Cell Suspension Cultured in the Presence of 2,4-D and BAP

by Jan J. Rybczyński, Łukasz Marczak, Maciej Stobiecki, Aleksander Strugała and Anna Mikuła

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(19), 11783; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms231911783 - 04 Oct 2022

Viewed by 1289

Abstract

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the metabolic profile of post-culture medium as an expression of cell suspension metabolic activity of the tree fern Cyathea delgadii Sternb. The molecular profile of the tree fern’s cell culture has been never described, according to our knowledge. The cell suspension was established using ½ MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of 2,4-D and BAP. The optimal concentrations were 2.0 mg·L⁻¹ and 0.2 mg·L⁻¹, respectively. The cell suspension initially showed an organized system of cell division and later unorganized cell proliferation. LC-MS and GC-MS were used to identify the chemical composition of the post-culture medium. The LC-MS analysis results suggested that the color of liquid medium could be due to the presence of flavonoid derivatives, as this group of compounds was represented by eight compounds. After GC-MS analysis based on retention indexes and thanks to mass spectra comparison, 130 natural products were recognized, belonging to various classes of primary and secondary metabolites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Approach to Fern Development)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Molecular Approach to Fern Development

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (5 papers)

Research

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI