Plant Natural Products: Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Function, Volume II

This Research Topic is part of the article collection series - Enhancing Agricultural Water Management: Techniques for Improving Crop Water Efficiency and Sustainability.

Plant natural products, also referred to as plant specialized metabolites, are small molecules synthesized by plants to adapt to their changing environment. These compounds serve various essential functions, including defense against plant pathogenic microbes and pests, facilitation of pollination, and protection against UV damage. Their distribution tends to be lineage-specific, resulting in highly evolvable biosynthesis pathways compared to primary metabolites. Some specialized metabolites have a rich history of use in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and fuels. The synthesis of plant specialized metabolites is intricately governed by genetic material and regulated by a diverse array of biotic and abiotic environmental factors.

To date, our knowledge of the biosynthesis and regulation of specialized metabolites in various plants remains limited. This Research Topic aims to highlight the latest findings on plant specialized metabolites. The goal is to deepen our understanding of the biosynthetic mechanisms underlying diverse plant specialized metabolites, identify additional regulatory factors, and offer fresh perspectives for the development and utilization of a wide range of plant specialized metabolites.

We invite submissions of original research or review articles related to plant specialized metabolites. The following themes are of particular interest but not limited to:

• Characterization of key genes or transcription factors in plant specialized metabolite biosynthesis

• Mechanism of exogenous regulatory factors impacting plant specialized metabolite biosynthesis

• Application of synthetic biology methods for plant specialized metabolite production

• Discovery of novel plant specialized metabolites with intriguing biological activities

Article types and fees

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

• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• ... View all formats

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
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review
• Systematic Review

Keywords: specialized metabolism, biosynthesis pathway, bioactivity, gene regulation, function, synthetic biology

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.