In Silico and Epigenomic Evolutionary Analysis of Superoxide Dismutase Gene Families in Plants

Superoxide dismutases (SODs) are a ubiquitous family of metalloenzymes that catalyze the dismutation of superoxide radicals, forming a first line of defense against oxidative stress across all domains of life. In plants, SOD gene families (Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD, Fe-SOD) have expanded and diversified extensively, with copy number, subcellular localization, and regulatory architecture varying widely across lineages. Genome-wide identification and in silico evolutionary analysis of SOD gene families, combining phylogenetics, gene structure, conserved motifs, cis-regulatory elements, chromosomal distribution, and synteny, have become a standard and powerful approach for understanding how these genes have diversified and how they contribute to stress tolerance and redox homeostasis. Increasingly, evidence also points to epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin accessibility, as an additional layer shaping copy-specific SOD expression and stress responsiveness, one that sequence-based analyses alone do not capture.This Research Topic focuses specifically on the SOD gene family as a single, well-defined case study for evolutionary and regulatory genomics. In contrast to broader, cross-family gene evolution collections, this collection provides a focused, family-specific deep dive that allows direct comparison of evolutionary and regulatory patterns across plant lineages for one universally conserved, functionally well-characterized enzyme family. We welcome contributions applying in silico, genomic, and epigenomic approaches to SOD gene family evolution, including: genome-wide identification and phylogenetic analysis of SOD gene families in plants (and, where directly comparative, other taxa); gene duplication, loss, and neofunctionalization of SOD genes; comparative genomics and synteny analysis of SOD loci; cis-regulatory element and transcription factor binding site prediction in SOD promoters; DNA methylation, histone modification, or chromatin-state analysis of SOD gene copies and regulatory regions; integration of genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic data linking SOD regulation to stress-responsive expression; and codon usage bias, protein structure modeling, or functional validation of SOD gene family members.Manuscripts should provide substantive genomic, genetic, or epigenetic analysis of the SOD gene family specifically, consistent with the scope of Frontiers in Genetics. We welcome Original Research, Methods, Review, Mini Review, and Data Report articles that advance understanding of SOD gene family evolution and its functional and applied significance. Topic editors: Tiago Benedito Santos, Silvia Graciele Hulse de Souza Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/86368/in-silico-and-epigenomic-evolutionary-analysis-of-superoxide-dismutase-gene-families-in-plants