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Abiotic stresses are the major cause that limits productivity of crop plants worldwide. Plants have developed intricate machinery to respond and adapt over these adverse environmental conditions both at physiological and molecular levels. Due to increasing problems of abiotic stresses, plant biotechnologists and breeders need to employ new approaches to improve abiotic stress tolerance in crop plants. Although current research has divulged several key genes, gene regulatory networks and quantitative trait loci that mediate plant responses to various abiotic stresses, the comprehensive understanding of this complex trait is still not available. This topic is focused on molecular genetics and genomics approaches to understand the plant response/adaptation to various abiotic stresses. We welcome all types of articles (original research, method, opinion and review) that provide new insights into different aspects of plant responses and adaptation to abiotic stresses. Articles describing genome analysis to identify key candidate genes, regulatory network analysis, epigenetic regulation, discovery of novel genetic variations, QTL identification using linkage mapping and association mapping approaches, genetic engineering, molecular breeding and novel approaches for understanding and manipulation of abiotic stress response, are welcome.

Molecular genetics. --- Plants, Cultivated --- Botany --- Botany, Economic. --- Crops, Agricultural --- Genetics. --- Molecular aspects. --- microbiology. --- molecular genetics --- signal transduction --- transcriptional regulatory network --- functional genomics --- virus-induced gene silencing --- abiotic stress

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gene silencing --- genomic imprinting --- DNA methylation --- histone modification --- paramutation --- Epigenomics --- Epigenesis, Genetic --- Epigenetic Process --- Epigenetics Processes --- Epigenetic Processes --- Genetic Epigenesis --- Process, Epigenetic --- Processes, Epigenetic --- Processes, Epigenetics --- DNA Methylation --- Epigenetics --- Epigenetic --- Epigenomic --- Epigenomics. --- Epigenesis, Genetic. --- Epigenome --- Genetics --- Epigenetics. --- dna methylation --- Épigénétique --- Épigénétique

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Ornamental crops account for more than US $42 billion globally. With the exception of few floral species, limited genetic, genomic, and breeding information is publicly available, owing to the fact that the majority of breeding work is performed by the private sector. Public research programs are increasingly participating in ornamental cultivar development and genetic studies. With lower sequencing costs, genomic information of non-model species including ornamental crops is continuously becoming available. Ornamental breeding utilizes a wide array of breeding strategies ranging from traditional crossing and selection methods to the use of next-generation sequencing in genomics and transcriptomics for gene identification and trait development. A continuing search of new species for the ornamentals industry has resulted in the utilization of tools that increase diversity and in the development of alternative methods for obtaining new crops by achieving interspecific and intergeneric crosses. This Special Issue aimed to present papers on new breeding methods, novel cultivars and species entering the ornamental industry, the identification of genes conferring novel traits, technological developments in ornamentals research, and the use of next-generation sequencing to improve ornamental plants.

Acer buergerianum --- Acer ginnala --- Acer platanoides --- Acer tataricum ssp. ginnala --- ploidy manipulation --- sterility --- Hydrangea macrophylla --- SSR --- SNP --- linkage map --- flower senescence --- nuclease --- nutrient deficiency --- petals --- programmed cell death --- virus induced gene silencing --- bolting --- cut flower --- germinal pore --- ornamental plant --- polyploidy periclinal chimera --- Plumbaginaceae --- polyploidy breeding --- cold hardiness --- LT50 --- sucrose --- oligosaccharides --- soluble sugar metabolism --- gene expression --- breeding --- geophytes --- interspecific cross --- plant hormone treatment --- pollen-pistil interaction --- pre-zygotic barrier --- Ranunculaceae --- n/a

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The new frontier of pharmaceutical sciences is gene therapy, which is the use of molecules able to interact directly with the expression of the genetic material of the patient as well as of the disease-causing guest (bacteria, virus, parasites, and tumor cells). Among the molecules of interest for gene therapy, a relevant role is played by small interfering RNA (siRNA) molecules able to interfere with the expression of genes of interest for some diseases. However, siRNA molecules, even if they are powerful as drugs, are difficult to deliver since they are sensitive to enzymes present in plasma and they are large and negatively charged, so are difficult to administer into the cell nuclei, since the cell walls are scarcely permeable to large molecules and are also negatively charged. Therefore, the focus of research on siRNA-based therapies is their delivery, which can be performed by chemical modification, association with aptamers or polycations, or embedding them into properly designed liposomes. This book is centered on the more recent development in siRNA delivery techniques toward the clinical applications of this potent class of drugs.

oligonucleotide delivery --- light-activated release --- intracellular release --- liposome --- indocyanine green --- drug co-delivery --- methotrexate --- siRNA --- antitumor effect --- mixed micelles --- targeted delivery system --- cationic liposome --- folate --- folate receptor --- cationic cholesterol derivative --- siRNA delivery --- gene knockdown --- tumor-targeting --- VEGFA --- VEGFR1 --- endoglin --- peptide --- angiogenesis --- gene silencing --- migration --- proliferation --- endothelial cells --- RNAi therapeutics --- amphiphilic dendrons --- PAMAM dendrimers --- self-assembling --- nanovectors --- covalent dendrimers --- NABDs --- liposomes --- clinical trials --- drug delivery --- nanoparticle --- carbonate apatite --- ERBB2 --- AKT --- breast cancer --- ovarian cancer --- polymer --- lipid --- delivery --- poly(ethylene) imine --- PEI --- RNA --- tyrosine-modification --- tumor xenograft --- magnetic nanoparticle --- iron oxide --- BCL2 --- BIRC5/survivin --- oral cancer --- aptamers --- cancer --- nanoparticles --- STAT6 --- polyaspartamide --- pegylation --- polyamine --- polyplexes --- asthma --- n/a

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Discovered in plants at the turn of the century, microRNAs (miRNAs) have been found to be fundamental to many aspects of plant biology. These small (20–24 nt) regulatory RNAs are derived via processing from longer imperfect double-stranded RNAs. They are then incorporated into silencing complexes, which they guide to (m)RNAs of high sequence complementarity, resulting in gene silencing outcomes, either via RNA degradation and/or translational inhibition. Some miRNAs are ancient, being present in all species of land plants and controlling fundamental processes such as phase change, organ polarity, flowering, and leaf and root development. However, there are many more miRNAs that are much less conserved and with less understood functions. This Special Issue contains seven research papers that span from understanding the function of a single miRNA family to examining how the miRNA profiles alter during abiotic stress or nutrient deficiency. The possibility of circular RNAs in plants acting as miRNA decoys to inhibit miRNA function is investigated, as was the hierarchical roles of miRNA biogenesis factors in the maintenance of phosphate homeostasis. Three reviews cover the potential of miRNAs for agronomic improvement of maize, the role of miRNA-triggered secondary small RNAs in plants, and the potential function of an ancient plant miRNA.

microRNAs --- abiotic stress --- Arabidopsis thaliana --- heat stress --- photosynthesis --- maize (Zea mays L.) --- immunoprecipitation --- tapetum --- resurrection plants --- plastocyanin --- dehydration --- Tripogon loliiformis --- secondary siRNA --- RT-qPCR --- putrescine --- DRB2 --- phosphate (PO4) stress --- argonaute --- development --- miR399-directed PHO2 expression regulation --- circRNA --- Solanum lycopersicum --- copper deficiency --- salt stress --- DOUBLE-STRANDED RNA BINDING (DRB) proteins DRB1 --- P5CS --- proline --- phasiRNA --- drought stress --- agronomic traits --- Colorado potato beetle --- Cu-microRNA --- plant --- miR171 --- STTM --- aleurone --- PHOSPHATE2 (PHO2) --- vegetative growth --- nutrient availability --- miRNAs --- non-coding RNA --- pollen --- tomato --- flowering --- crop improvement --- callose --- miRNA target gene expression --- circular RNAs --- miRNA --- programmed cell death --- DRB4 --- microRNA (miRNA) --- target mimicry --- MYB transcription factors --- post-transcriptional gene silencing --- desiccation --- miR399 --- miR159 --- copper protein --- drought --- microRNAs (miRNAs) --- microRNA --- GAMYB --- tasiRNA --- phosphorous (P)