About this Research Topic
The quality of oil crops is of great relevance to consumers since oil crops can directly contribute to human health by providing multiple nutrients in addition to oil. Lipid category and fatty acid composition determine the quality of vegetable oil. Multiple nutrients such as proteins, vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds affect seed quality, determining nutritional value and processing characteristics of oil crops. With the increase in the consumption of high-quality vegetable oils, scientists and breeders have also gradually shifted their focus from increasing oil production to improving oil quality. Identifying the bioactive substances in oil crops and evaluating their potential in improving the edible quality of oil crops, along with; researching the molecular and physiological mechanisms of oil crop quality trait formation and dissecting the genetic architecture of oil crop quality traits can provide a scientific basis for quality improvement.
Despite ample studies on food crops and horticultural crops, there are relatively few reports on the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying oil crop quality, with few genes or loci having been characterized and cloned, and the genetic and the metabolomic basis needing to be further investigated. Hence, there is an urgent need for more in-depth studies aimed at improving oil crop quality via genetics and metabolomics, especially through multi-omics-based approaches, that have potential to provide the candidate gene targets for manipulation by genetic engineering or accelerated breeding-based approaches. In addition, maintaining high plant productivity while improving oil quality remains a challenge. A negative correlation between yield and quality traits has been observed in oil crops, such as between flavonoid content and oil content, raising a question on the correlation mechanisms. Understanding the inheritance and regulation of quality traits may enable further improvements in the yield and quality of oil crops.
This Research Topic aims to dissect genetic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic bases of quality traits to verify related gene functions in oil crops. We welcome all article types published by Frontiers in Plant Science in this topic, especially those that focus on:
• Genetic bases of quality traits in oilseed crops via quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, genome-wide association (GWAS) analysis, and bulked segregation analysis (BSA) based on high-throughput sequencing.
• Molecular and physiological mechanism underlying oil crop quality traits as revealed via genomic, transcriptomic, metabolomic, and multi-omic studies related to oil crop quality.
• The functional analysis of candidate genes that control seed quality of oil crops.
This Research Topic is not limited to traditional oil-seed crops, and manuscripts related to oil-producing horticultural or forestry plants will also be considered.
Please note: Descriptive collections of genomics, transcripts, and metabolites will not be considered if they do not advance physiological or molecular understanding of the quality traits.
Despite ample studies on food crops and horticultural crops, there are relatively few reports on the molecular and physiological mechanisms underlying oil crop quality, with few genes or loci having been characterized and cloned, and the genetic and the metabolomic basis needing to be further investigated. Hence, there is an urgent need for more in-depth studies aimed at improving oil crop quality via genetics and metabolomics, especially through multi-omics-based approaches, that have potential to provide the candidate gene targets for manipulation by genetic engineering or accelerated breeding-based approaches. In addition, maintaining high plant productivity while improving oil quality remains a challenge. A negative correlation between yield and quality traits has been observed in oil crops, such as between flavonoid content and oil content, raising a question on the correlation mechanisms. Understanding the inheritance and regulation of quality traits may enable further improvements in the yield and quality of oil crops.
This Research Topic aims to dissect genetic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic bases of quality traits to verify related gene functions in oil crops. We welcome all article types published by Frontiers in Plant Science in this topic, especially those that focus on:
• Genetic bases of quality traits in oilseed crops via quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, genome-wide association (GWAS) analysis, and bulked segregation analysis (BSA) based on high-throughput sequencing.
• Molecular and physiological mechanism underlying oil crop quality traits as revealed via genomic, transcriptomic, metabolomic, and multi-omic studies related to oil crop quality.
• The functional analysis of candidate genes that control seed quality of oil crops.
This Research Topic is not limited to traditional oil-seed crops, and manuscripts related to oil-producing horticultural or forestry plants will also be considered.
Please note: Descriptive collections of genomics, transcripts, and metabolites will not be considered if they do not advance physiological or molecular understanding of the quality traits.
Keywords: genetic improvement, gene function, oil crop, quality trait, molecular and physiological mechanism
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
