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Utilizing Molecular Biology to Explore Biodiversity and Germplasm Enhancement of Specialty and Rare Plants

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 July 2026 | Viewed by 312

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, “Utilizing molecular biology to explore Biodiversity and Germplasm Enhancement of Specialty and Rare Plants”, focuses on molecular biology-based studies of plant biodiversity, germplasm evaluation, and innovative utilization. The scope includes genomic and multi-omics approaches for assessing genetic diversity and adaptive traits, functional characterization of key genes and regulatory networks, and molecular-assisted strategies for germplasm enhancement and crop improvement. The Issue also covers the molecular mechanisms of biotic and abiotic stress responses as well as the molecular mechanisms regulating the accumulation of secondary metabolites. It aims to advance the integration of biodiversity conservation and germplasm utilization from a molecular perspective.

Prof. Dr. Ai-Sheng Xiong
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • biodiversity
  • specialty and rare plants
  • germplasm
  • conservation
  • enhancement and utilization
  • molecular mechanisms

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

26 pages, 11524 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Analysis of the Cinnamoyl-CoA Reductase (CCR) Gene Family and Its Involvement in Lignin Biosynthesis and Stress Responses in Six Tea Plant Cultivars
by Ni Yang, Gui-Nan Li, Jia-Qi Zhang, Yuan Gao, Zhi-Hang Hu, Ai-Sheng Xiong and Jing Zhuang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(7), 2957; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27072957 - 24 Mar 2026
Viewed by 168
Abstract
Cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR) is the first rate-limiting enzyme in the lignin biosynthetic pathway in higher plants. It catalyzes the conversion of cinnamoyl-CoA into the corresponding cinnamaldehydes. Tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is a perennial woody species. Systematic identification and functional characterization of [...] Read more.
Cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR) is the first rate-limiting enzyme in the lignin biosynthetic pathway in higher plants. It catalyzes the conversion of cinnamoyl-CoA into the corresponding cinnamaldehydes. Tea plant (Camellia sinensis) is a perennial woody species. Systematic identification and functional characterization of the CCR gene family in tea plants is still limited. In this study, 202 CCR genes were identified from six tea plant cultivars, and a significant expansion of the CCR gene family was observed during the domestication process from wild to cultivated tea plants. A total of 50 CsCCR genes were identified in the tea cultivar ‘Shuchazao’, and they were distributed across 13 chromosomes. Multiple sequence alignment revealed that the key catalytic motifs NWYCYGK and H-X-X-K were fully conserved in CsCCR1, CsCCR2, and CsCCR3. Phylogenetic analysis showed that CsCCR1/2/3 clustered with AtCCR1/2 and PtrCCR2, which were known to be involved in lignin biosynthesis. Transcriptome data analysis showed that CsCCR3 exhibited significantly higher transcript abundance in stems than in young, mature, and old leaves. CsCCRL9, CsCCRL33, CsCCRL34, and CsCCRL36 also showed relatively high expression levels in stem. RT-qPCR further confirmed the high expression of CsCCR3 and CsCCRL33 in stems. Furthermore, comparison of CCR members derived from tandem and segmental duplication in the tea cultivar ‘Shuchazao’ showed clear differences in Ka/Ks ratios, expression correlations, and the distribution of stress-responsive cis-acting elements. This study provides new insights into the expansion and duplication-related functional divergence of the CCR gene family in tea plant and identifies key candidate genes potentially involved in lignin biosynthesis and stress responses. Full article
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