Identification and Comprehensive Structural and Functional Analyses of the Gene Family in Cotton.

The gene is a vital component of the exocytosis complex and participates in biological processes ranging from plant cell division to polar growth. There are many genes in plants and their functions are extensive, but little is known about the gene family in cotton. Here, we analyzed four cotton sequence databases, identified 165 genes, and divided them into eight subgroups (-) based on their phylogenetic relationships. had the most exons (≥11), whereas the other seven each had only one or two exons. Hence, may have many important functions. The 84 genes in Asian and upland cotton were expressed in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fibers, and/or ovules. Full-length cDNA was homologously cloned from upland cotton (, ). Subcellular analysis revealed that GhEXO70A1-A protein was localized to the plasma membrane. A yeast two-hybrid assay revealed that GhEXO70A1-A interacted with GhEXO84A, GhEXO84B, and GhEXO84C. silencing significantly altered over 4000 genes and changed several signaling pathways related to metabolism. Thus, the gene plays critical roles in the physiological functions of cotton.