Phenylpropanoid Metabolism in Plants: Functional Diversity, Stress Resilience, and Biotechnological Applications

About this Research Topic

Background

Phenylpropanoids constitute a diverse family of secondary metabolites derived from the shikimate pathway, critically contributing to essential plant processes such as growth, development, and adaptation to environmental fluctuations. Their functional versatility encompasses structural support, pigmentation, defense mechanisms against pathogens, ultraviolet radiation protection and facilitation of nutrient uptake and metabolism. Recent research has elucidated specific phenylpropanoid metabolites such as lignin, flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins, coumarins, and phytoalexins, revealing their prominence not only in basic plant biology but also their potential economic applications as renewable sources for fuels, chemicals, and biopharmaceuticals. Nevertheless, despite extensive research advances in genomics, transcriptomics, and metabolic engineering, significant gaps remain regarding the comprehensive understanding of the regulatory networks that govern phenylpropanoid metabolism and the detailed functional characterization of recently identified phenylpropanoid compounds, particularly their roles under various biotic and abiotic stresses.

This Research Topic aims to expand our understanding of phenylpropanoid metabolism, particularly focusing on the elucidation of biosynthetic pathways, characterization of regulatory mechanisms, and exploration of phenylpropanoid applications in crop improvement and biotechnological innovations. It seeks answers to fundamental questions such as the regulatory interplay with other metabolic pathways, functional diversity under environmental stress conditions, and the efficiency and feasibility of the biotechnological applications of phenylpropanoid derivatives and intermediates in diverse industries.

To gather further insights within the broad and multidisciplinary framework of phenylpropanoid metabolism in plants, we invite contributions covering studies across various plant systems, from fundamental biochemical investigations to applied biotechnological advances, including but not limited to the following themes:

• Regulatory mechanisms of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis at transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and epigenetic levels

• Cross-talk between phenylpropanoid metabolism and other primary and secondary metabolic pathways

• Roles of phenylpropanoids in plant adaptive responses to biotic and abiotic stresses, such as pathogens, drought, and UV radiation

• Metabolic engineering strategies, including CRISPR/Cas and synthetic biology approaches, targeting enhanced phenylpropanoid production

• Innovative applications of phenylpropanoid compounds and their biosynthetic pathways in agriculture sustainability, biofuel generation, pharmaceutical development, and improvement of crop productivity such as legume nodulation

We welcome submissions of original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and perspectives from scholars specializing in plant molecular biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, genetics, and metabolic engineering.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: Phenylpropanoids, Multi-omics, Metabolic engineering, Stress tolerance, Plant biotechnology

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.

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