Genetic and Genomic Insights into Cotton Fiber Development

Cotton is a model for understanding cell elongation and cellulose biosynthesis in a complex polyploid context. Allotetraploid species such as Gossypium hirsutum and Gossypium barbadense combine two divergent subgenomes, each contributing homoeologous gene sets that underlie key fibre traits. High-quality genome assemblies have elucidated structural variations, repetitive element dynamics and gene family expansions that accompany domestication and speciation. Comparative analyses reveal how subgenome-specific expression biases and structural rearrangements influence primary cell wall synthesis during fibre elongation and secondary wall deposition during thickening. Emerging work has characterised the timing and regulation of fibre cell growth, demonstrating that gene networks are modulated by circadian rhythms, hormone signalling and epigenetic marks. Introgression populations further illustrate how allelic exchange perturbs transcriptional networks and offers routes to enhance fibre length and strength. Together, these genetic and genomic frameworks provide a foundation for targeted breeding and genome editing to meet global demands for superior natural fibres.

Research from Nature Portfolio

High-resolution genomes of cultivated allotetraploids have charted the evolutionary origins and diversification of fibre-related genes. Comparative sequencing of G. barbadense and G. hirsutum genomes has identified species-specific structural variants, expanded cellulose synthase families and regulatory elements that underpin differences in fibre quality and yield. An updated assembly of the A-genome species resolved centromeric repeats and clarified the ancestral relationships among extant Gossypium diploids, revealing bursts of long terminal repeat retrotransposons that shaped genome size and gene content. Foundational studies of a homeodomain-leucine zipper transcription factor uncovered the molecular mechanism by which GA signalling interfaces with fibre cell elongation through L1-box cis-elements, offering a paradigm for how hormone-responsive transcriptional complexes control cell wall loosening during lengthwise growth.

Genetic and Genomic Insights into Cotton Fiber Development publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic and genomic insights into cotton fiber development across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Allotetraploid: An organism containing two distinct chromosome sets derived from separate species, resulting in duplicated subgenomes.

Introgression: The incorporation of genetic material from one species into another through repeated hybridisation and backcrossing.

Homoeologous genes: Gene copies in polyploids that originate from different progenitor genomes but retain related functions.

Transcriptome: The complete repertoire of RNA molecules transcribed from the genome under specific conditions or developmental stages.

Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq): A technique for quantifying gene expression at the resolution of individual cells.

Cis-regulatory element: A short DNA sequence that regulates the transcription of nearby genes by binding specific transcription factors.

References

1. Genetic Regulatory Perturbation of Gene Expression Impacted by Genomic Introgression in Fiber Development of Allotetraploid Cotton. Advanced Science (2024).
2. Cell-specific clock-controlled gene expression program regulates rhythmic fiber cell growth in cotton. Genome Biology (2023).
3. Gossypium barbadense and Gossypium hirsutum genomes provide insights into the origin and evolution of allotetraploid cotton. Nature Genetics (2019).
4. Genome sequence of Gossypium herbaceum and genome updates of Gossypium arboreum and Gossypium hirsutum provide insights into cotton A-genome evolution. Nature Genetics (2020).
5. Control of cotton fibre elongation by a homeodomain transcription factor GhHOX3. Nature Communications (2014).