Evolution of Specialized Metabolism in Plants
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Physiology and Metabolism".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2022) | Viewed by 12075
Special Issue Editor
Interests: specialized metabolism; plant genomics; applied bioinformatics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Plants produce a plethora of specialized metabolites. Protection against abiotic stresses like radiation, heat, cold, and drought are just some of the functions of these products. Many specialized metabolites are involved in protection against herbivores or pathogens. Other metabolites are required to attract pollinators or seed dispersers. It is fascinating to see how the produced metabolites can differ between closely related species or even between cultivars of the same species. An investigation into the underlying evolutionary patterns of these substances will help us to understand the molecular mechanisms behind them. Enzyme promiscuity could be an important basis for the evolution of highly specialized enzymes. The regulation of enzyme encoding genes is even more dynamic than the enzymes’ functions. Therefore, it is particularly exciting to reveal the mechanisms that allow for ‘fast’ evolutionary changes. Investigations might target entire gene families. Examples of famous groups of specialized metabolites are flavonoids, terpenoids, and betalains. Several transcription factor families are known to be involved in the regulation of specialized metabolism. Examples are MYBs, bHLHs, WRKYs, and NACs. Studies focused on enzymes or transcriptional regulators of specialized metabolism will be considered for publication in this Special Issue. This includes bioinformatic projects that reveal novel insights and provide the basis for future discoveries.
Dr. Boas Pucker
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- flavonoids
- anthocyanins
- flavonols
- betalains
- MYB
- bHLH
- WRKY
- NAC
