About this Research Topic
Marchantia polymorpha is a bryophyte used in basic research since the 18th century. However, in recent decades, this bryophyte has aroused great scientific interest as a model plant to study aspects of plant physiology, development, evolution, pathogenic and symbiotic interactions. This is a consequence of its easy cultivation, wide global distribution, simple genome, ease of crossing, efficient transformation and gene editing, and the wide variety of genomic resources available. These characteristics are directly related to the life cycle of M. polymorpha, dominated by a gametophytic haploid phase. In addition, this bryophyte occupies an important phylogenetic position to perform evolutionary studies between vascular plants and the first terrestrial plants. For all these reasons, M. polymorpha is a biological resource of great current interest in plant science.
Cellular and molecular functional studies on M. polymorpha have provided a better understanding of evolutionary conservation than comparable functional studies in other plant lineages. On the other hand, to further develop this model plant, it is also crucial to enhance our understanding of Marchantia from different academic angles, including physiology, ecology, morphology, metabolism, and microbiology. Therefore, we propose a collection that summarizes the current research findings and new research methods, tools, and applications in Marchantia studies.
The scope of the Research Topic covers the following aspects:
• Physiological aspects of Marchantia as a model plant.
• Studies on the development of Marchantia and its relationship with vascular plants.
• Evolutionary approaches to the biology of Marchantia.
• Marchantia as a source of new bioactive molecules.
• Marchantia as a source of new microorganisms with biotechnological potential.
• Study of evolutionary molecular plant-microbe interactions in Marchantia.
Cellular and molecular functional studies on M. polymorpha have provided a better understanding of evolutionary conservation than comparable functional studies in other plant lineages. On the other hand, to further develop this model plant, it is also crucial to enhance our understanding of Marchantia from different academic angles, including physiology, ecology, morphology, metabolism, and microbiology. Therefore, we propose a collection that summarizes the current research findings and new research methods, tools, and applications in Marchantia studies.
The scope of the Research Topic covers the following aspects:
• Physiological aspects of Marchantia as a model plant.
• Studies on the development of Marchantia and its relationship with vascular plants.
• Evolutionary approaches to the biology of Marchantia.
• Marchantia as a source of new bioactive molecules.
• Marchantia as a source of new microorganisms with biotechnological potential.
• Study of evolutionary molecular plant-microbe interactions in Marchantia.
Keywords: model plant, Marchantia polymorpha, vascular plants, phylogenetic relationships, plant evolution, bioactive, plant biotechnology, evolutionary molecular plant-microbe interactions
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