Forest trees accumulate a large number of specialized metabolites that are important to a variety of industries. These metabolites serve the fundamental functions of protecting trees against both biotic and abiotic stresses. Although the role of specialized metabolites in defending against herbivores and pathogens is well established in some conifer species, the mechanisms of how they cope with environmental stresses are still very limited. Specialized metabolites are often restricted to specialized organs of specific plant species and produced upon environmental stimulation. The diversity and complexity of metabolites in forest trees are making the research about their regulatory mechanisms rather difficult and challenging. Generally, these metabolites are categorized into four different groups: terpenoids, phenolics, and nitrogen and sulfur-containing compounds. Environmental stresses impact the synthesis of specialized metabolites through basic physiological processes that are intertwined with multiply signaling pathways. Under the context of climate change, deciphering the interaction mechanisms between specialized metabolites and abiotic stresses will be of great importance to forest breeding and improvement.
This Research Topic aims at deciphering the biosynthesis pathways and response mechanisms of important metabolites under various stresses in forest trees. Both laboratory and field experiments are important to help understand how specialized metabolites are synthesized and involved in mediating stress responses. The research should present a clear phenomenon-mechanism analysis of the metabolite response process and propose a potential cause-and-effect relationship. Multi-omics analyses integrating transcriptomic, metabolomic, and proteomic data should include experimental evidence demonstrating the stress resistance of metabolites. Physiological and molecular studies will provide deeper insight into the mechanism by which specialized metabolites are evolved into improving the adaption of perennial tree species.
Specific topics include:
• Identifying key biosynthesis genes for the specialized metabolites and potential regulatory pathways responsible for the synthesis in forest trees.
• Physiological and molecular analyses of the response process under various abiotic stresses related to metabolite change in forest trees.
• Uncovering the genome information of tree species with mechanistic analyses underlying the synthesis of specialized metabolites.
• Multi-omics analyses integrating transcriptomic, metabolomic, and proteomics to investigate the comprehensive change of important metabolites and key regulatory networks in response to stress.
Forest trees accumulate a large number of specialized metabolites that are important to a variety of industries. These metabolites serve the fundamental functions of protecting trees against both biotic and abiotic stresses. Although the role of specialized metabolites in defending against herbivores and pathogens is well established in some conifer species, the mechanisms of how they cope with environmental stresses are still very limited. Specialized metabolites are often restricted to specialized organs of specific plant species and produced upon environmental stimulation. The diversity and complexity of metabolites in forest trees are making the research about their regulatory mechanisms rather difficult and challenging. Generally, these metabolites are categorized into four different groups: terpenoids, phenolics, and nitrogen and sulfur-containing compounds. Environmental stresses impact the synthesis of specialized metabolites through basic physiological processes that are intertwined with multiply signaling pathways. Under the context of climate change, deciphering the interaction mechanisms between specialized metabolites and abiotic stresses will be of great importance to forest breeding and improvement.
This Research Topic aims at deciphering the biosynthesis pathways and response mechanisms of important metabolites under various stresses in forest trees. Both laboratory and field experiments are important to help understand how specialized metabolites are synthesized and involved in mediating stress responses. The research should present a clear phenomenon-mechanism analysis of the metabolite response process and propose a potential cause-and-effect relationship. Multi-omics analyses integrating transcriptomic, metabolomic, and proteomic data should include experimental evidence demonstrating the stress resistance of metabolites. Physiological and molecular studies will provide deeper insight into the mechanism by which specialized metabolites are evolved into improving the adaption of perennial tree species.
Specific topics include:
• Identifying key biosynthesis genes for the specialized metabolites and potential regulatory pathways responsible for the synthesis in forest trees.
• Physiological and molecular analyses of the response process under various abiotic stresses related to metabolite change in forest trees.
• Uncovering the genome information of tree species with mechanistic analyses underlying the synthesis of specialized metabolites.
• Multi-omics analyses integrating transcriptomic, metabolomic, and proteomics to investigate the comprehensive change of important metabolites and key regulatory networks in response to stress.
