<p>Cotton (<i>Gossypium hirsutum</i>), serving as a critical raw material for textile manufacturing, is highly vulnerable to drought stress during its growth cycle. Water deficit conditions directly impair boll development and ultimately reduce lint yield. As a crucial unsaturated fatty acid, linolenic acid (C18:3) plays a pivotal role in plant growth and drought response. However, the specific role of C18:3 in drought tolerance and the underlying regulatory network remain largely unelucidated. In this study, drought treatment significantly reduced C18:3 content in cotton leaves, while exogenous application of C18:3 enhanced drought tolerance. Gene expression analysis indicated that the fatty acid desaturase <i>GhFAD3-2</i> may be involved in the drought-induced reduction of C18:3 content. Overexpression of <i>GhFAD3-2</i> improved drought tolerance in cotton, whereas silencing <i>GhFAD3-2</i> decreased drought tolerance, potentially by regulating C18:3, jasmonic acid, and flavonoid metabolism. Further investigation revealed that GhDREB1B acted as an upstream transcriptional activator of <i>GhFAD3-2</i>, directly binding to the promoter of <i>GhFAD3-2</i> to activate its transcription in response to drought stress in cotton. The expression of <i>GhDREB1B</i> was significantly suppressed under drought stress, and silencing <i>GhDREB1B</i> resulted in decreased <i>GhFAD3-2</i> expression, reduced C18:3 content, and consequently diminished drought tolerance in cotton. In conclusion, this study elucidates the role of the GhDREB1B-<i>GhFAD3-2</i> module in regulating C18:3 biosynthesis in response to drought stress in cotton, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms of drought response and potential breeding targets for cotton.</p>

错误:搜索内容不能为空,请输入英文关键词
错误:关键词超出字数限制,请精简
高级检索

GhDREB1B-GhFAD3-2 module mediates drought tolerance by regulating linolenic acid biosynthesis in cotton

  • Yufei Liang,
  • Luqi Wang,
  • Yuxin Yang,
  • Ronggui Yu,
  • Yanping Shi,
  • Liyong Hou,
  • Xin Zhou,
  • Yan Zhang,
  • Guanghui Xiao

摘要

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), serving as a critical raw material for textile manufacturing, is highly vulnerable to drought stress during its growth cycle. Water deficit conditions directly impair boll development and ultimately reduce lint yield. As a crucial unsaturated fatty acid, linolenic acid (C18:3) plays a pivotal role in plant growth and drought response. However, the specific role of C18:3 in drought tolerance and the underlying regulatory network remain largely unelucidated. In this study, drought treatment significantly reduced C18:3 content in cotton leaves, while exogenous application of C18:3 enhanced drought tolerance. Gene expression analysis indicated that the fatty acid desaturase GhFAD3-2 may be involved in the drought-induced reduction of C18:3 content. Overexpression of GhFAD3-2 improved drought tolerance in cotton, whereas silencing GhFAD3-2 decreased drought tolerance, potentially by regulating C18:3, jasmonic acid, and flavonoid metabolism. Further investigation revealed that GhDREB1B acted as an upstream transcriptional activator of GhFAD3-2, directly binding to the promoter of GhFAD3-2 to activate its transcription in response to drought stress in cotton. The expression of GhDREB1B was significantly suppressed under drought stress, and silencing GhDREB1B resulted in decreased GhFAD3-2 expression, reduced C18:3 content, and consequently diminished drought tolerance in cotton. In conclusion, this study elucidates the role of the GhDREB1B-GhFAD3-2 module in regulating C18:3 biosynthesis in response to drought stress in cotton, providing new insights into the molecular mechanisms of drought response and potential breeding targets for cotton.