Epigenetic Regulation and Molecular Mechanisms in Brassica Crop Improvement
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 March 2026 | Viewed by 36
Special Issue Editor
Interests: epigenetics; hybrid vigor; heterosis; vernalization; Brassica
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The genus Brassica includes a range of economically significant crops, such as vegetables (e.g., cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, turnip, Chinese cabbage, and kale), oilseeds (canola, rapeseed), and condiments (mustard). Recent advancements in sequencing technologies have enabled researchers to identify genetic loci and causative genes associated with agronomically important traits in Brassica crops, offering new opportunities for molecular breeding and crop improvement.
In addition to genetic studies, epigenetics has emerged as a critical area of research in plant biology. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, chromatin remodeling, and non-coding RNAs, play essential roles in regulating gene expression without altering the underlying DNA sequence. In Brassica crops, these epigenetic changes have significant implications for key agricultural traits, including growth regulation and phenotypic diversity. Moreover, epigenetic modifications are involved in crucial processes such as flowering time and biotic and abiotic resilience, which directly influence crop productivity and quality.
This Special Issue focuses on the latest developments in epigenetic research in Brassica crops, with an emphasis on their application in crop improvement. We invite submissions that explore the molecular mechanisms underlying biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, heterosis, flowering, and breeding in Brassica crops. We also encourage submissions that integrate epigenomics with other omics data, such as transcriptomics, proteomics, phenomics, and metabolomics, to provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex molecular networks driving crop improvement.
Dr. Ryo Fujimoto
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- abiotic stress
- allopolyploidy
- biotic stress
- DNA methylation
- defense response
- disease resistance
- epi-allele
- epigenetics
- epigenome
- flowering time
- heterosis
- histone modification
- non-coding RNA
- reproductive development
- self-incompatibility
- small RNA
- transposon
- transcriptomics
- vernalization
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