Long Lu, Zhang Zhen-Nan, Xu Fu-Chun, Ma Jia-Yi, Shang Shen-Zhai, Song Hao-Ge, Wu Jian-Feng, Zhao Xiao-Tong, Botella Jose Ramon, Jin Shuang-Xia, Gao Wei
National Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Life Science, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, P.R. China.
Changzhi Medical College, Changzhi, Shanxi 046000, P.R. China.
Cell Rep. 2025 Jan 28;44(1):115112. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.115112. Epub 2024 Dec 24.
Gossypium spp. pigment glands are a good model for studying plant secretory cavity structures. GoPGF (GOSSYPIUM PIGMENT GLAND FORMATION) is a well-characterized master transcription factor that controls gland formation in cotton; however, little is known about its transcriptional regulation. This study integrates yeast one-hybrid sequencing data and the previously reported single-cell RNA sequencing data to identify upstream GoPGF binding proteins. Several transcription factors preferentially expressed in pigment gland cells (PGCs) are identified, including the cotton AINTEGUMENTA ortholog GhANT. Silencing of GhANT produces a defective leaf-specific PGC phenotype. Knockdown of GhANT reduces mesophyll gland number and gossypol production, while CRISPR-mediated GhANT knockout suppresses mesophyll development. Overexpression of GhANT increases organ size but not cell size. GhANT binds to two CCG boxes in the GoPGF promoter to trigger GoPGF-GhJUB1-regulated gland formation. Our study dissects the subtle regulation of tissue-specific gland morphogenesis in cotton and provides molecular mechanisms to study secretory cavity structures widespread among vascular plants.
棉属植物色素腺体是研究植物分泌腔结构的良好模型。GoPGF（棉色素腺体形成）是一个已被充分表征的主控转录因子，可控制棉花中腺体的形成；然而，对其转录调控却知之甚少。本研究整合了酵母单杂交测序数据和先前报道的单细胞RNA测序数据，以鉴定GoPGF上游结合蛋白。鉴定出了几种在色素腺细胞（PGC）中优先表达的转录因子，包括棉花中与拟南芥AINTEGUMENTA直系同源的GhANT。沉默GhANT会产生有缺陷的叶片特异性PGC表型。敲低GhANT会减少叶肉腺体数量和棉酚产量，而CRISPR介导的GhANT敲除会抑制叶肉发育。过表达GhANT会增加器官大小，但不会增加细胞大小。GhANT与GoPGF启动子中的两个CCG框结合，以触发GoPGF - GhJUB1调控的腺体形成。我们的研究剖析了棉花中组织特异性腺体形态发生的精细调控，并为研究维管植物中广泛存在的分泌腔结构提供了分子机制。
