The language of plants is composed of an array of “words” defined as specialized metabolites; their chemo-diversity resides in specific biochemical modification, distinctive production in restricted plant species, and under defined conditions or in tissue-specific accumulation. Genetic molecular control underlines this biochemical variability. High throughput technologies, -omics approaches, reverse and forward genetic-based approaches, as well as studies on gene duplication, gene loss, and biochemical studies on enzymatic specificities, are fundamental to discovering the linkage among phenotypes, genetic diversity and evolutive cues. Studying the metabolic diversity of neglected plant species and invasive species can provide novel genetic resources and help tailor traits for new value chains, sustainable development, and food security.
The high diversity of molecules accumulated in plants is the mirror of a wide genetic variation. The availability of numerous and innovative sequencing technologies as well as accurate metabolomic profiling allows the performance of comparative analysis, thus enabling gene and compound discovery. Comparison between closely related species, as well as more among distant ones, can help unlock novel genes and enzymatic capabilities, and elucidate the peculiar biological functions of specific molecules. Besides crops and their wild relatives, chemo-diversity is rich in neglected and invasive plant species. These plants hold an important evolutionary footprint. This Research Topic explores these latter species, whose metabolic repertoire can represent a resource for their tolerance and resistance abilities for sustainable plant cultivation. Original research works on less explored metabolite classes or those marking the evolutionary diversification of plants are particularly welcome.
This Research Topic encourages the publication of multidisciplinary research papers with significant innovative technologies and creative ideas related to the latest developments of the evolution and role of plant specialized metabolism. Review, original research articles, opinion and perspective papers for this Research Topic should cover the following:
1) Elucidation of specialized metabolite biosynthesis, with special emphasis on metabolite classes less explored or restricted to specific species (e.g. alkaloids, terpenes).
2) Mechanisms of transport and degradation of specialized metabolites in plant cells.
3) Chemical and biochemical characterization of specialized metabolites from invasive and neglected species.
4) Integrative approaches (e.g. metabolomics-genomics; biochemistry-functional genetic) to understand the functional role of metabolites in evolutionary diversification and in the adaptation of plants to their environment.
5) Innovative strategy and synthetic biology approaches to improve plant performances and crop biofortification.
The language of plants is composed of an array of “words” defined as specialized metabolites; their chemo-diversity resides in specific biochemical modification, distinctive production in restricted plant species, and under defined conditions or in tissue-specific accumulation. Genetic molecular control underlines this biochemical variability. High throughput technologies, -omics approaches, reverse and forward genetic-based approaches, as well as studies on gene duplication, gene loss, and biochemical studies on enzymatic specificities, are fundamental to discovering the linkage among phenotypes, genetic diversity and evolutive cues. Studying the metabolic diversity of neglected plant species and invasive species can provide novel genetic resources and help tailor traits for new value chains, sustainable development, and food security.
The high diversity of molecules accumulated in plants is the mirror of a wide genetic variation. The availability of numerous and innovative sequencing technologies as well as accurate metabolomic profiling allows the performance of comparative analysis, thus enabling gene and compound discovery. Comparison between closely related species, as well as more among distant ones, can help unlock novel genes and enzymatic capabilities, and elucidate the peculiar biological functions of specific molecules. Besides crops and their wild relatives, chemo-diversity is rich in neglected and invasive plant species. These plants hold an important evolutionary footprint. This Research Topic explores these latter species, whose metabolic repertoire can represent a resource for their tolerance and resistance abilities for sustainable plant cultivation. Original research works on less explored metabolite classes or those marking the evolutionary diversification of plants are particularly welcome.
This Research Topic encourages the publication of multidisciplinary research papers with significant innovative technologies and creative ideas related to the latest developments of the evolution and role of plant specialized metabolism. Review, original research articles, opinion and perspective papers for this Research Topic should cover the following:
1) Elucidation of specialized metabolite biosynthesis, with special emphasis on metabolite classes less explored or restricted to specific species (e.g. alkaloids, terpenes).
2) Mechanisms of transport and degradation of specialized metabolites in plant cells.
3) Chemical and biochemical characterization of specialized metabolites from invasive and neglected species.
4) Integrative approaches (e.g. metabolomics-genomics; biochemistry-functional genetic) to understand the functional role of metabolites in evolutionary diversification and in the adaptation of plants to their environment.
5) Innovative strategy and synthetic biology approaches to improve plant performances and crop biofortification.
