TITLE:
Transcriptome Analysis of Ten-DPA Fiber in an Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) Line with Improved Fiber Traits from Phytochrome A1 RNAi Plants
AUTHORS:
Qing Miao, Peng Deng, Sukumar Saha, Johnie N. Jenkins, Chuan-Yu Hsu, Ibrokhim Y. Abdurakhmonov, Zabardast T. Buriev, Alan Pepper, Din-Pow Ma
KEYWORDS:
Fiber Development, Phytochrome A1, RNA Interference, RNA-Seq, Transcriptome
JOURNAL NAME:
American Journal of Plant Sciences,
Vol.8 No.10,
September
28,
2017
ABSTRACT: Silencing phytochrome A1 gene (PHYA1) by RNA interference in Upland
cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. cv.
Coker 312) had generated PHYA1 RNAi
lines with improved fiber quality (longer, stronger and finer fiber). To reveal molecular mechanisms that govern fiber
development with positive fiber traits,
a study of global gene expression profiling of 10-DPA fibers in a PHYA1 RNAi line
and its parent Coker 312 was conducted by high-throughput RNA sequencing.
A comparative analysis of transcriptomes between the two lines had identified
142 genes that were differentially expressed in the 10-DPA fiber of the RNAi
line. Gene Ontology analysis showed that these differentially expressed genes
were mainly involved in metabolic pathways, heterocyclic/organic cyclic compound
binding and multiple enzyme activities, and cell structures which were reported
to play important roles in fiber development. Twenty-eight KEGG pathways were mapped for the 142 genes, and
the pathways related to glycolysis/gluconeogenesis and pyruvate
metabolism were the most abundant and followed by cytochrome P450-involved
pathways, suggesting that fiber improvement could be through the regulation of
proteins involved in cytochrome P450 pathways. Genes encoding WRKY
transcription factors, sucrose synthase, xyloglucan endotransglucosylase
hydrolase, udp-glucuronate: xylan alpha-glucuronosyltransferase, and genes involved in lipid metabolism and ABA/brassinosteroid signal transduction pathways
were found differentially expressed in the RNAi line. These genes have direct
impacts on cotton fiber quality. The results of this study elucidate molecular
signatures and possible mechanisms of fiber
improvement in the background of PHYA1
RNAi in cotton and should help for future fine-tuning and programming of
cotton fiber development.