Liu Ning, Chen Yuping, Guan Yangbing, Guan Geyi, Yang Jian, Nie Feng, Ming Kui, Bai Wenqin, Luo Ming, Yan Xingying
College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China.
Genes (Basel). 2025 Jul 30;16(8):912. doi: 10.3390/genes16080912.
L. is one of the main economic crops worldwide, and increasing the size/weight of its seeds is a potential strategy to improve its seed-related yield. AINTEGUMENTA (ANT) is an organogenesis transcription factor mediating cell proliferation and expansion in , but little is known about its candidate function in upland cotton seed.
In this study, functional characterization of in the cotton seed development stage was performed. The expression pattern analysis showed that was predominantly expressed in the ovules, and its expression was consistent with the ovules' development stage. Heterologous expression of in promoted plant organ growth and led to larger seeds. Importantly, specific expression of by the TFM7 promoter in the cotton ovules enlarged the seeds and increased the cotton seed yield, as compared with the wild-type in a three-year field trial. Furthermore, transcription level analysis showed that numerous genes involved in cell division were up-regulated in the ovules of TFM7:: lines in comparison to the wild-type. These results indicate that is a potential genetic resource for improving cotton seed yield through its molecular links with cell cycle controllers.
棉花是全球主要经济作物之一，增加其种子大小/重量是提高与种子相关产量的潜在策略。AINTEGUMENTA（ANT）是一种介导细胞增殖和扩张的器官发生转录因子，但对其在陆地棉种子中的候选功能知之甚少。
在本研究中，对棉花种子发育阶段的该基因进行了功能鉴定。表达模式分析表明，该基因主要在胚珠中表达，其表达与胚珠发育阶段一致。在拟南芥中异源表达该基因促进了植物器官生长并导致种子更大。重要的是，在三年田间试验中，与野生型相比，通过TFM7启动子在棉花胚珠中特异性表达该基因可增大种子并提高棉花种子产量。此外，转录水平分析表明，与野生型相比，TFM7::株系胚珠中许多参与细胞分裂的基因上调。这些结果表明，该基因通过与细胞周期调控因子的分子联系，是提高棉花种子产量的潜在遗传资源。
