Since the report of FERONIA being a major regulator of female fertility and an upstream receptor for the major molecular switch RAC/ROP GTPases, studies of the FERONIA family of receptor kinases have flourished into a major field of investigation in model and crop species. Driving this development are studies from diverse perspectives, including growth, development, and interactions with environmental challenges including pathogens and multiple abiotic stresses, all pointing to FERONIA as playing a crucial role, along with an expanding list of the roles of FERONIA and its homologs in pollen in controlling male and female fertility. It is a timely juncture to critically review the accumulated knowledge as a foundation and look towards future studies that will add mechanistic depth and expand the translational potential of the broader FERONIA and related receptor kinase family. Given the widespread recognition of the FERONIA family of receptor kinases being a core regulator of diverse biological processes in a broad range of plant species, the Special Issue will include focused reviews on specific and inter-related aspects surrounding this broad family of regulators – spanning evolution, functional and translational perspectives. We also invite research articles reporting on the various aspects of this exciting topic, building depth in the field and inspiring further perspectives.

Guest Editors

Prof. Dr. Alice Y. Cheung, University of Massachusetts, USA

Her research interests focus on (1) Pollen-pistil interaction; (2) Pollen tube growth; (3) Cell signaling mechanisms – receptor kinases and RAC/ROP GTPases.

Prof. Dr. Li-Jia Qu, Peking University, China

His research interests focus on (1) Plant male-female interactions; (2) Peptide/receptor-mediated signaling; (3) Fertilization and fertility control.

Prof. Dr. Qiaohong Duan, Shandong Agricultural University, China

Her research interests focus on (1) Self-incompatibility in Chinese cabbage; (2) Interspecies barriers in Chinese cabbage; (3) Germplasms Innovation of Chinese cabbage and other Brassicaceae crops.

Submission Deadline

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is June 30, 2027; however, we are open to considering extensions on a case-by-case basis. Accepted papers will be published as open-access articles.

Submission Instructions

To submit your full manuscript, kindly use the online submission system at Seed Biology (mc03.manuscriptcentral.com/seedbio). Additionally, please select a topic relevant to this Special Issue during submission and explicitly reference it in your cover letter. For any additional inquiries, please reach out to the Guest Editors:

Prof. Dr. Alice Y. Cheung (acheung@umass.edu)

Prof. Dr. Li-Jia Qu (qulj@pku.edu.cn)

Prof. Dr. Qiaohong Duan (duanqh@sdau.edu.cn)