In this issue of Genome Biology, we present a special collection of Research, Method, Review, Opinion, Research highlight and Editorial pieces focusing on the topic of plant genomics. This issue provides many new insights into crop breeding, plant-pathogen interactions, and plant responses to the environment. A Research article from Philip Wigge and colleagues is celebrated as the winner of the Plant Biology, Environmental Biology and Ecology category of the BioMed Central Annual Research Awards.
Review
Recent pathogenomic research on plant parasitic oomycete effector function and plant host responses has resulted in major conceptual advances in plant pathology, which has been possible thanks to the availabil...
Genome Biology 2013 14:211
Published on: 28 June 2013
Editorial
Genome Biology 2013 14:404
Published on: 28 June 2013
Comment
Genome Biology 2013 14:124
Published on: 28 June 2013
Review
The Saccharinae, especially sugarcane, Miscanthus and sorghum, present remarkable characteristics for bioenergy production. Biotechnology of these plants will be important for a sustainable feedstock supply. Here...
Genome Biology 2013 14:210
Published on: 27 June 2013
Opinion
The goal of systems biology is to generate models for predicting how a system will react under untested conditions or in response to genetic perturbations. This paper discusses experimental and analytical appr...
Genome Biology 2013 14:123
Published on: 27 June 2013
Research highlight
The Norway spruce genome provides key insights into the evolution of plant genomes, leading to testable new hypotheses about conifer, gymnosperm, and vascular plant evolution.
Genome Biology 2013 14:122
Published on: 27 June 2013
Editorial
Genome Biology 2013 14:403
Published on: 27 June 2013
Meeting report
A report on the first 'Plant Genomics Congress' meeting, held in London, UK, 12-13 May 2013.
Genome Biology 2013 14:308
Published on: 27 June 2013
Research
Sorghum is a tropical C4 cereal that recently adapted to temperate latitudes and mechanized grain harvest through selection for dwarfism and photoperiod-insensitivity. Quantitative trait loci for these traits hav...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R68
Published on: 26 June 2013
Research
Quantitative information on gene activity at single cell-type resolution is essential for the understanding of how cells work and interact. Root hairs, or trichoblasts, tubular-shaped outgrowths of specialized...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R67
Published on: 25 June 2013
Research
Crop plants are highly sensitive to ambient temperature, with a 1 ºC difference in temperature sufficient to affect development and yield. Monocot crop plants are particularly vulnerable to higher temperatures...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R65
Published on: 25 June 2013
Research
Plant-microbe interactions feature complex signal interplay between pathogens and their hosts. Phytophthora species comprise a destructive group of fungus-like plant pathogens, collectively affecting a wide range...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R63
Published on: 25 June 2013
Review
Plant genomes contribute to the structure and function of the plant microbiome, a key determinant of plant health and productivity. High-throughput technologies are revealing interactions between these complex...
Genome Biology 2013 14:209
Published on: 25 June 2013
Research
The high level of identity among duplicated homoeologous genomes in tetraploid pasta wheat presents substantial challenges for de novo transcriptome assembly. To solve this problem, we develop a specialized bioin...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R66
Published on: 25 June 2013
Research
As for other major crops, achieving a complete wheat genome sequence is essential for the application of genomics to breeding new and improved varieties. To overcome the complexities of the large, highly repet...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R64
Published on: 25 June 2013
Opinion
Understanding commonalities and differences of how symbiotic and parasitic microbes interact with plants will improve advantageous interactions and allow pathogen control strategies in crops. Recently establis...
Genome Biology 2013 14:121
Published on: 25 June 2013
Review
Flowers exist in exceedingly complex fitness landscapes, in which subtle variation in each trait can affect the pollinators, herbivores and pleiotropically linked traits in other plant tissues. A whole-genome ...
Genome Biology 2013 14:207
Published on: 24 June 2013
Opinion
An open-access culture and a well-developed comparative-genomics infrastructure must be developed in forest trees to derive the full potential of genome sequencing in this diverse group of plants that are the ...
Genome Biology 2013 14:120
Published on: 24 June 2013
Review
Large-scale biology among plant species, as well as comparative genomics of circadian clock architecture and clock-regulated output processes, have greatly advanced our understanding of the endogenous timing s...
Genome Biology 2013 14:208
Published on: 24 June 2013
Review
The sequencing of large and complex genomes of crop species, facilitated by new sequencing technologies and bioinformatic approaches, has provided new opportunities for crop improvement. Current challenges inc...
Genome Biology 2013 14:206
Published on: 24 June 2013
Research
Similarly to the legume-rhizobia symbiosis, the arbuscular mycorrhiza interaction is controlled by autoregulation representing a feedback inhibition involving the CLAVATA1-like receptor kinase NARK in shoots. ...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R62
Published on: 18 June 2013
Research
Nicotiana sylvestris and Nicotiana tomentosiformis are members of the Solanaceae family that includes tomato, potato, eggplant and pepper. These two Nicotiana species originate from South America and exhibit diff...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R60
Published on: 17 June 2013
Research
In arid and semi-arid environments, drought and soil salinity usually occur at the beginning and end of a plant's life cycle, offering a natural opportunity for the priming of young plants to enhance stress to...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R59
Published on: 14 June 2013
Research
Recent genome-wide studies suggested that in addition to genetic variations, epigenetic variations may also be associated with differential gene expression and growth vigor in plant hybrids. Maize is an ideal ...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R57
Published on: 12 June 2013
Research
There is growing evidence for the prevalence of copy number variation (CNV) and its role in phenotypic variation in many eukaryotic species. Here we use array comparative genomic hybridization to explore the e...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R58
Published on: 12 June 2013
Research
Genotyping by sequencing, a new low-cost, high-throughput sequencing technology was used to genotype 2,815 maize inbred accessions, preserved mostly at the National Plant Germplasm System in the USA. The colle...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R55
Published on: 11 June 2013
Research
MADS-domain transcription factors play important roles during plant development. The Arabidopsis MADS-box gene SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) is a key regulator of two developmental phases. It functions as a repres...
Genome Biology 2013 14:R56
Published on: 11 June 2013
Research
Phenotypic plasticity refers to the range of phenotypes a single genotype can express as a function of its environment. These phenotypic variations are attributable to the effect of the environment on the expr...
Genome Biology 2013 14:r54
Published on: 7 June 2013
Research highlight
Evaluation of the common grapevine Vitis vinifera across multiple harvests and field locations provides important insights into crop transcriptional plasticity under diverse agricultural regimes.
Genome Biology 2013 14:119
Published on: 7 June 2013
