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Special Issue "Secondary Metabolites in Plants"

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2024 | Viewed by 2318

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hsiaohang Chung

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Guest Editor

Department of Horticulture, College of Bioresources, National Ilan University, Yilan 26047, Taiwan
Interests: plant secondary metabolites; plant pigments; plant tissue culture; biotechnology

Dr. Sarana Sommano

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Guest Editor

Plant Bioactive Compound Laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
Interests: bioactive compound

Prof. Dr. Javier Palazon

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Department of Biology, Healthcare and the Environment, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Interests: vitro cultures; biotechnological production of plant secondary metabolites; plant metabolic engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Secondary metabolites (SMs) are diverse organic compounds that are derived through pathways from primary metabolism and generally do not appear to participate directly in the growth as well as development of plants. Although the term “secondary metabolites” may imply a less important role than “primary metabolites” in plants, these compounds play a variety of roles in the interaction of plants with the environment and can be involved in the response against herbivores, microbes (bacteria, fungi), and viruses. Some of them also show the function of signal molecules to attract pollinating insects or seed-dispersing animals and interact with proteins (receptors, ion channels, enzymes, cytoskeleton, and transcription factors), DNA/RNA, and/or biomembranes. SMs are often differentially distributed among limited taxonomic groups within the plant kingdom. Regarding the functions and biosynthetic pathways of SMs, these still remain largely unknown at the moment. This Special Issue aims to reveal the functions and biosynthesis of SMs in plants, as well as biotechnological production of secondary metabolites and studies related to their biological activities.

Dr. Hsiaohang Chung
Dr. Sarana Sommano
Prof. Dr. Javier Palazon
Guest Editors

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. 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.

Keywords

plant secondary metabolites
natural products
bioactive compounds
phytochemistry
biosynthetic pathway
metabolomics
omics

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2073 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gene Expression and Interaction Analysis of FsWRKY4 and FsMAPK3 in Forsythia suspensa

and

Plants 2023, 12(19), 3415; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193415 - 28 Sep 2023

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Abstract

Forsythia suspensa is a deciduous shrub that belongs to the family Myrtaceae, and its dried fruits are used as medicine. F. suspensa contains several secondary metabolites, which exert pharmacological effects. One of the main active components is forsythin, which exhibits free radical scavenging, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects. Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs) can increase the activity of WRKY family transcription factors in a phosphorylated manner, thereby increasing the content of secondary metabolites. However, the mechanism of interaction between MAPKs and WRKYs in F. suspensa remains unclear. In this study, we cloned the genes of FsWRKY4 and FsMAPK3, and performed a bioinformatics analysis. The expression patterns of FsWRKY4 and FsMAPK3 were analyzed in the different developmental stages of leaf and fruit from F. suspensa using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR). Subcellular localization analysis of FsWRKY4 and FsMAPK3 proteins was performed using a laser scanning confocal microscope. The existence of interactions between FsWRKY4 and FsMPAK3 in vitro was verified by yeast two-hybridization. Results showed that the cDNA of FsWRKY4 (GenBank number: OR566682) and FsMAPK3 (GenBank number: OR566683) were 1587 and 522 bp, respectively. The expression of FsWRKY4 was higher in the leaves than in fruits, and the expression of FsMAPK3 was higher in fruits but lower in leaves. The subcellular localization results indicated that FsWRKY4 was localized in the nucleus and FsMAPK3 in the cytoplasm and nucleus. The prey vector pGADT7-FsWRKY4 and bait vector pGBKT7-FsMAPK3 were constructed and co-transferred into Y2H Glod yeast receptor cells. The results indicated that FsWRKY4 and FsMAPK3 proteins interact with each other in vitro. The preliminary study may provide a basis for more precise elucidation of the synthesis of secondary metabolites in F. suspensa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secondary Metabolites in Plants)

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14 pages, 2475 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enhancing Centelloside Production in Centella asiatica Hairy Root Lines through Metabolic Engineering of Triterpene Biosynthetic Pathway Early Genes

Miguel Angel Alcalde

Javier Palazon

Mercedes Bonfill

and

Diego Hidalgo-Martinez

Plants 2023, 12(19), 3363; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193363 - 23 Sep 2023

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Abstract

Centella asiatica is a medicinal plant with a rich tradition of use for its therapeutic properties. Among its bioactive compounds are centellosides, a group of triterpenoid secondary metabolites whose potent pharmacological activities have attracted significant attention. Metabolic engineering has emerged as a powerful biotechnological tool to enhance the production of target compounds. In this study, we explored the effects of overexpressing the squalene synthase (SQS) gene and transcription factor TSAR2 on various aspects of C. asiatica hairy root lines: the expression level of centelloside biosynthetic genes, morphological traits, as well as squalene, phytosterol, and centelloside content. Three distinct categories of transformed lines were obtained: LS, harboring At-SQS; LT, overexpressing TSAR2; and LST, simultaneously carrying both transgenes. These lines displayed noticeable alterations in morphological traits, including changes in branching rate and biomass production. Furthermore, we observed that the expression of T-DNA genes, particularly aux2 and rolC genes, significantly modulated the expression of pivotal genes involved in centelloside biosynthesis. Notably, the LS lines boasted an elevated centelloside content but concurrently displayed reduced phytosterol content, a finding that underscores the intriguing antagonistic relationship between phytosterol and triterpene pathways. Additionally, the inverse correlation between the centelloside content and morphological growth values observed in LS lines was countered by the action of TSAR2 in the LST and LT lines. This difference could be attributed to the simultaneous increase in the phytosterol content in the TSAR2-expressing lines, as these compounds are closely linked to root development. Overall, these discoveries offer valuable information for the biotechnological application of C. asiatica hairy roots and their potential to increase centelloside production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secondary Metabolites in Plants)

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Review

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18 pages, 1932 KiB

Open AccessReview

Do Abiotic Stresses Affect the Aroma of Damask Roses?

Taepin Junmahasathien

Julaluk Khemacheewakul

Sarana Rose Sommano

and

Piyachat Sunanta

Plants 2023, 12(19), 3428; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12193428 - 28 Sep 2023

Viewed by 965

Abstract

Roses are popular ornamental plants all over the world. Rosa damascena Mill., also known as the damask rose, is a well-known scented rose species cultivated to produce essential oil. The essential oils obtained are high in volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are in demand across the pharmaceutical, food, perfume, and cosmetic industries. Citronellol, nonadecane, heneicosane, caryophyllene, geraniol, nerol, linalool, and phenyl ethyl acetate are the most important components of the rose essential oil. Abiotic factors, including as environmental stress and stress generated by agricultural practises, frequently exert a selective impact on particular floral characteristics, hence influencing the overall quality and quantity of rose products. Additionally, it has been observed that the existence of stress exerts a notable impact on the chemical composition and abundance of aromatic compounds present in roses. Therefore, understanding the factors that affect the biosynthesis of VOCs, especially those representing the aroma and scent of rose, as a response to abiotic stress is important. This review provides comprehensive information on plant taxonomy, an overview of the volatolomics involving aromatic profiles, and describes the influence of abiotic stresses on the biosynthesis of the VOCs in damask rose. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Secondary Metabolites in Plants)

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Special Issue "Secondary Metabolites in Plants"

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