Peng Zhen, Rehman Abdul, Jiang Xuran, Tian Chunyan, Wang Zhenzhen, Li Hongge, Wang Xiaoyang, Ahmad Adeel, Azhar Muhammad Tehseen, Du Xiongming, He Shoupu
Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China; State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang, 455000, China; Henan International Joint Laboratory of Cotton Biology, Anyang, 455000, China.
Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450001, China.
Plant Physiol Biochem. 2025 Feb;219:109406. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.109406. Epub 2024 Dec 15.
Owing to the scarcity of cultivable land in China, the agricultural sector is primarily focused on grain and oil crops. Simultaneously, the cultivation of cotton has gradually shifted towards regions characterized by elevated soil salinity levels. Additionally, the mechanism behind cotton's ability to tolerate salt remains elusive. In this study, we identified the Z9807 genotype as highly tolerant to salt stress, exhibiting superior leaf wilting resistance, antioxidant activity, catalase activity, K/Na ratio, and growth compared to the salt-sensitive ZJ0102. Comparative transcriptome analysis revealed marked differences in salt stress responses between Z9807 and ZJ0102. This study identified a considerable number of differentially expressed genes associated with salt tolerance across multiple time points. By integration of QTL and GWAS mapping data, we successfully identified 621 candidate genes associated with salt tolerance. Weighted gene correlation network analysis exhibited three co-expression modules related to salt-tolerant Z9807 samples, ultimately identifying 15 core salt-tolerant candidate genes. We also conducted in-depth research on the salt tolerance of the stress-associated protein (SAP) GhSAP6 (GhSAP6_At and GhSAP6_Dt homologs). Results revealed that these candidate genes may inhibit salt tolerance through Virus-Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) and transgenic overexpression assays conducted in Arabidopsis thaliana. Furthermore, we used yeast two-hybrid and luciferase assay experiments to confirm the ubiquitin degradation pathway between selected interacting proteins and verified the interaction with RAD23C. This study will provide new insights into the mechanisms related to salt tolerance in upland cotton.
由于中国可耕地稀缺，农业部门主要专注于粮食和油料作物。同时，棉花种植已逐渐向土壤盐度较高的地区转移。此外，棉花耐盐的机制仍不清楚。在本研究中，我们鉴定出Z9807基因型对盐胁迫具有高度耐受性，与盐敏感的ZJ0102相比，其表现出更强的抗叶片萎蔫能力、抗氧化活性、过氧化氢酶活性、钾/钠比以及生长优势。比较转录组分析揭示了Z9807和ZJ0102在盐胁迫响应方面的显著差异。本研究在多个时间点鉴定出大量与耐盐性相关的差异表达基因。通过整合QTL和GWAS定位数据，我们成功鉴定出621个与耐盐性相关的候选基因。加权基因共表达网络分析显示了与耐盐Z9807样本相关的三个共表达模块，最终鉴定出15个核心耐盐候选基因。我们还对应激相关蛋白（SAP）GhSAP6（GhSAP6_At和GhSAP6_Dt同源物）的耐盐性进行了深入研究。结果表明，通过在拟南芥中进行病毒诱导基因沉默（VIGS）和转基因过表达试验，这些候选基因可能抑制耐盐性。此外，我们利用酵母双杂交和荧光素酶试验来证实所选相互作用蛋白之间的泛素降解途径，并验证了与RAD23C的相互作用。本研究将为陆地棉耐盐机制提供新的见解。
