About this Research Topic
Plant specialized metabolites are small molecules or organic compounds such as flavonoids, quinones, terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenolic compounds produced by plants. They play a role in plant adaptation to the environment, such as defending against predators and pests, helping with pollination, and providing protection against UV damage. Some specialized metabolites also have certain physiological activities and pharmacological effects, which are of great significance for the prevention and treatment of human tumors, aging, and cardiovascular diseases. The distribution of specialized metabolites in plants is usually unique to species, organs, tissues, and growth stages, which leads to complex and diverse biosynthetic pathways of specialized metabolites. The synthesis of plant specialized metabolites is controlled by genetic material and regulated by a variety of biotic and abiotic factors in the environment.
At present, research on the biosynthetic pathways and regulatory factors of specialized metabolites in different plants is still very limited. This Research Topic aims to present the latest findings on plant specialized metabolites, aiming to further elucidate the biosynthetic mechanisms of different plant specialized metabolites, reveal more key factors regulating plant specialized metabolite biosynthesis, and provide novel insights for developing and utilizing a variety of plant specialized metabolites.
We welcome submissions of original research or review articles related to plant specialized metabolites. The main topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:
• Identification of key gene networks for the biosynthesis of plant specialized metabolites such as flavonoids, terpenes, and alkaloids
• Mining of gene clusters in the biosynthetic pathway of plant specialized metabolites
• Functional identification of key genes or transcription factors in plant specialized metabolites biosynthesis
• Molecular mechanism of exogenous regulatory factors affecting the biosynthesis of plant specialized metabolites
• Advances in the study of synthetic pathways of plant specialized metabolites
Keywords: specialized metabolism, physiological response, flavonoids, terpenoids, biosynthesis pathway, gene regulation
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