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[前沿资讯 ] UTIA participates in national study analyzing microbial communities, environmental factors impacting cotton development 进入全文
UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE
Soil microbial communities play a vital role in plant health, influencing root development, disease resistance, nutrient and soil water uptake and more. In a pioneering study, the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture (UTIA) is partnering with universities across the country to investigate how these microbial communities impact cotton development and overall yield across diverse climates, agricultural practices and environmental stressors. In addition to extreme conditions such as drought and flooding, cotton crops are often affected by plant diseases like cotton leaf crumple virus and cotton leafroll dwarf virus, as well as insect infestations from whiteflies, aphids and others. While these factors often cause only minimal damage individually, their combined effect with abiotic and environmental stressors can hinder crop growth and disrupt the soil rhizosphere, or the area around a plant’s root system containing microbial communities. To assess the health of the soil rhizosphere in varying environments and agricultural practices, as well as to determine the beneficial or harmful roles of different microbes, research teams are using advanced sequencing technologies to analyze leaf and soil samples from geographically diverse areas. This includes the low desert of Palo Verde Valley, California; the high desert of Safford, Arizona; the High Plains of Lubbock, Texas and the Cotton Belt in West Tennessee, each with distinct elevations, temperatures, soil compositions, precipitation rates, humidity levels and more. “Few studies have explored the relationship between microorganisms, agricultural practices such as cover crops and select cotton varieties. This research is only possible thanks to the collaboration of universities nationwide,” says Avat Shekoofa, crop physiology researcher at UTIA. “Our data has the potential to better shape agricultural and plant breeding practices, as well as help farmers incorporate soil microbial considerations into their cotton operations regardless of their location or environmental challenges.” “Crop production is complex at both macro and micro levels,” says Judith Brown, project lead and plant pathologist from The School of Plant Sciences at the University of Arizona. “As farmers continue to navigate agronomic, economic, and environmental pressures, there’s a clear need for reliable assessment tools for soil health.” Randy Norton, Extension agronomist and cotton specialist with the University of Arizona, hopes their findings will improve yield and long-term sustainability. “The more control we can give to farmers, the better off their operations will be at all stages of production.” The project is led by the University of Arizona, in collaboration with UTIA, Texas A&M University and the University of California. The research is made possible thanks to support from Cotton Incorporated. Preliminary data collected in 2025 will be used to formulate a proposal to the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Commodity Board Co-funding Topics for further research in the coming years.
[前沿资讯 ] APS PRESS releases third edition of cotton industry’s most trusted diagnostic resource 进入全文
AMERICAN PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Cotton is one of the oldest cultivated crops, and it is the most important fiber crop worldwide. Numerous biological and abiotic factors can affect cotton growth and development, and cotton diseases and other pests play a significant role in the profitability of the crop worldwide each year. Trusted by researchers, crop consultants, and growers worldwide for more than 40 years, Compendium of Cotton Diseases and Pests returns for a third edition with significant updates and new content. Written by 70 experts from around the world and edited by Travis R. Faske (Lonoke Extension Center, University of Arkansas System), Terrance L. Kirkpatrick (retired, Southwest Research and Extension Center, University of Arkansas System), Craig S. Rothrock (retired, University of Arkansas), and Jason E. Woodward (PhytoGen), this essential edition delivers the most up-to-date information on cotton diseases, arthropod pests, and abiotic disorders—making it the most comprehensive guide of its kind to date. New to this edition is an expanded focus on entomology, including 14 chapters covering key arthropod pests that impact cotton production. Readers will also find new insights on emerging diseases such as target spot and areolate mildew, as well as updated information on lesion nematodes and other challenges facing today’s cotton industry. Hundreds of new and revised high-resolution images enhance identification and diagnosis, while a newly added glossary and a detailed appendix of cotton diseases and pests increase usability in the field or the lab. Whether you're a plant pathologist, agronomist, Extension professional, or grower, Compendium of Cotton Diseases and Pests, Third Edition will equip you with the knowledge needed to protect yields, improve plant health, and make informed management decisions. This title was published by APS PRESS, the publishing imprint of The American Phytopathological Society, a nonprofit, international organization that advances the science and practice of plant health management in agricultural, urban, and forest settings. The Society was founded in 1908 and has grown from 130 charter members to more than 3,500 scientists and practitioners worldwide.
[学术文献 ] The Genetic Loci Associated with Fiber Development in Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) Were Mapped by the BSA-Seq Technique 进入全文
PLANTS-BASEL
Cotton fiber quality improvement remains a fundamental challenge in breeding programs due to the complex genetic architecture underlying fiber development. The narrow genetic base of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and the quantitative nature of fiber quality traits necessitate innovative approaches for identifying and incorporating superior alleles from related species. We developed a BC6F2 population by introgressing chromosome segments from the sea island cotton variety Xinhai 36 (G. barbadense) into the upland cotton variety Xinluzhong 60 (G. hirsutum). Based on fiber strength phenotyping, we constructed two DNA bulks representing extreme phenotypes (20 superior and 12 inferior individuals) for bulked segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-Seq). High-throughput sequencing generated 225.13 Gb of raw data with average depths of 20x for parents and 30x for bulks. SNP calling and annotation were performed using GATK and ANNOVAR against the upland cotton reference genome (TM-1). BSA-Seq analysis identified 13 QTLs primarily clustered within a 1.6 Mb region (20.6-22.2 Mb) on chromosome A10. Within this region, we detected nonsynonymous mutation genes involving a total of six genes. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses revealed significant enrichment for carbohydrate metabolic processes, protein modification, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis pathways. Integration with transcriptome data prioritized GH_A10G1043, encoding a beta-amylase family protein, as the key candidate gene. Functional validation through overexpression and RNAi knockdown in Arabidopsis thaliana demonstrated that GH_A10G1043 significantly regulates starch content and beta-amylase activity, though without visible morphological alterations. This study successfully identified potential genomic regions and candidate genes associated with cotton fiber strength using chromosome segment substitution lines combined with BSA-Seq. The key candidate gene GH_A10G1043 provides a valuable target for marker-assisted selection in cotton breeding programs. Our findings establish a foundation for understanding the molecular mechanisms of fiber quality formation and offer genetic resources for developing superior cotton varieties with enhanced fiber strength.
[学术文献 ] A GhBGH2-GhGLK1 Regulatory Module Mediates Salt Tolerance in Cotton 进入全文
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
Soil salinisation, exacerbated by climate change and human activities such as irrigation mismanagement, improper land use and excessive fertilisation, has become a major constraint on global crop production by disrupting fundamental metabolic processes like seed germination and photosynthesis. In our previous work, transcriptome sequencing of salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive cotton germplasms identified Gh_D04G136300, a negative regulatory gene downregulated in salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive materials. Phylogenetic analysis revealed its closest homologue to be AtBGH2, leading to its designation as GhBGH2. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) demonstrated that GhBGH2 silencing enhanced salt tolerance. To further validate its function, we generated bgh2 knockout mutants via CRISPR/Cas9, which exhibited increased salt tolerance compared to controls. Transcriptome sequencing and yeast two-hybrid screening identified GhGLK1 as an interacting protein. Both GhBGH2 and GhGLK have nuclear localisation. Functional characterisation through VIGS revealed that GhGLK1 positively regulates salt tolerance in cotton. Yeast one-hybrid (Y1H), dual-luciferase (LUC) and electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA) confirmed that GhGLK1 binds to G-box elements in the promoters of downstream salt-tolerance genes, activating their transcription. Structural analysis of GhGLK1 revealed a transcriptional activation domain at its C-terminus, and yeast heterologous expression along with co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays demonstrated that GhBGH2 interacts with this domain. Haplotype analysis of GhGLK1 identified a distinct Hap-1 variant enriched in China's northwestern saline-alkali regions. This variant exhibited elevated GhGLK1 expression and conferred enhanced salt tolerance. Collectively, our findings indicate that GhBGH2 negatively regulates salt tolerance in cotton by interacting with the GhGLK1 activation domain, suppressing its transcriptional regulation of salt-tolerance genes.
[学术文献 ] Glucosylceramides containing very long-acyl-chain fatty acid are critical for cotton fiber elongation by influencing brassinosteroid synthesis and signaling 进入全文
CROP JOURNAL
Sphingolipids are not only a pivotal component of membranes but also act as bioactive molecules. Cotton fiber is one of the longest plant cells and sphingolipids are closely associated with the development of cotton fiber cells. However, their function in cotton fiber cell development and its action mechanism is unclear. Through cotton genetic transformation and chemistry biological approach, we identified the function and action mechanism of the glucosylceramide synthase gene GhGCS1 and its product glucosylceramide (GluCer) in cotton fiber growth. GhGCS1 was preferentially expressed at the stage of fiber elongation and localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. Overexpression of GhGCS1 promoted GluCer synthesis and fiber elongation, which was consistent with the exogenous application of GluCer (FA-C22) (containing very long-acyl-chain fatty acid) to cotton fiber in ovule culture system in vitro. Contrarily, suppressing GhGCS1 expression inhibited GluCer synthesis and fiber elongation, which was similar as the exogenous application of GluCer synthesis inhibitor, PDMP. Transcriptome analysis revealed that the fiber elongation regulated by GhGCS1 was associated with brassinosteroid (BR) synthesis and signaling related gene expression. Meanwhile, we detected the BL content of control and transgenic fiber cells. The BL content significantly increased and decreased in up- and down-regulated transgenic fibers when compared with control fibers, respectively. Furthermore, we found that PDMP treatment blocked BR synthesis and signal transduction, while exogenous application of GluCer could enhance BR synthesis and signaling. Overall, our results revealed that GhGCS1 and GluCer regulated cotton fiber elongation by influencing BR synthesis and signaling. Our study shed a novel insight on regulatory mechanism of cotton fiber elongation and provides theoretical support, genetic resources and novel transgenic materials for improvement of crop quality.
[前沿资讯 ] Ultra-low gossypol cottonseed takes next step toward humanitarian use 进入全文
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M AgriLife Research has reached a major milestone in increasing the value of cotton, marking the initial step toward commercial adoption of food-ingredient cottonseed. This innovative development was led by Keerti Rathore, Ph.D., AgriLife Research plant biotechnologist in the Texas A&M Department of Soil and Crop Sciences. Rathore has spent more than 30 years improving the value of cotton, going beyond the growers' focus on the fiber and concentrating on the value-added use for the seed, which has a high protein and oil content. Cotton plants produce 1.6 times more seed than fiber by weight. Rathore's development of ultra-low gossypol cottonseed trait has opened the market to expand beyond the historically restricted market of dairy cows to feed poultry, swine and aquaculture species, in addition to direct use as a protein source for human consumption. To further advance adoption and demonstrate the global humanitarian potential of ultra-low gossypol cottonseed, AgriLife Research and Cotton Incorporated collaborated to make the trait available for noncommercial use a few years ago. As a result of these efforts, Uzbekistan has become the first country to formalize a partnership with the Texas A&M University System through Texas A&M Innovation. The agreement, facilitated by Uzbekistan's Center of Genomics and Bioinformatics of the Academy of Sciences, will support the incorporation of the trait into cotton varieties adapted for Uzbekistan, in alignment with the nation's food security objectives. In addition to validating this trait, U.S. cotton growers may see future benefits as germplasm and future biotech traits are shared back with AgriLife Research following Uzbekistan's adoption of ultra-low gossypol cottonseed. Making cottonseed edible The cotton plant produces more seeds by weight than fiber. However, gossypol, a naturally occurring toxic compound that deters insects, is present throughout the cotton plant, including the seeds. The gossypol prevents their use as food or feed for nonruminant animals. To date, the dairy industry's use of cottonseed as a feed has made it the No. 1 consumer of U.S. cottonseed. Rathore's ultra-low gossypol cottonseed, TAM 66274, partially funded by U.S. cotton growers, was approved for field planting and food and feed consumption by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2018 and U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2019. With it fully deregulated in the U.S., the incorporation of ultra-low gossypol cottonseed represents an untapped market and an exciting opportunity for the industry to incorporate the trait into their commercial varieties, Rathore said. Nobel Peace Laureate Norman Borlaug, Ph.D., renowned for saving a billion lives by developing high-yielding wheat varieties, supported ultra-low gossypol cottonseed and Rathore's work in a letter for a Nature manuscript back in 2005. "This research potentially opens the door to utilizing safely the more than 40 million tons of cottonseed produced annually as a large, valuable protein source for improving the nutrition of monogastric animals, including man," Borlaug wrote. Rathore's goal is the global adoption of ultra-low gossypol cottonseed. He envisions a future where cotton is valued for its fiber and as an alternative protein source. This dual-purpose use of the crop should improve the sustainability of cotton cultivation.
