Repression of GhTUBB1 Reduces Plant Height in Gossypium hirsutum

Abstract

The original ‘Green Revolution’ genes are associated with gibberellin deficiency. However, in some species, mutations in these genes cause pleiotropic phenotypes, preventing their application in dwarf breeding. The development of novel genotypes with reduced plant height will resolve this problem. In a previous study, we obtained two dwarf lines, L28 and L30, by introducing the Ammopiptanthus mongolicus (Maxim. ex Kom.) Cheng f. C-repeat-binding factor 1 (AmCBF1) into the upland cotton variety R15. We found that Gossypium hirsutum Tubulin beta-1 (GhTUBB1) was downregulated in L28 and L30, which suggested that this gene may have contributed to the dwarf phenotype of L28 and L30. Here, we tested this hypothesis by silencing GhTUBB1 expression in R15 and found that decreased expression resulted in a dwarf phenotype. Interestingly, we found that repressing AmCBF1 expression in L28 and L30 partly recovered the expression of GhTUBB1. Thus, AmCBF1 expression presented a negative relationship with GhTUBB1 expression in L28 and L30. Moreover, yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase assays suggest that AmCBF1 negatively regulates GhTUBB1 expression by directly binding to C-repeat/dehydration-responsive (CRT/DRE) elements in the GhTUBB1 promoter, potentially explaining the dwarf phenotypes of L28 and L30. This study elucidates the regulation of GhTUBB1 expression by AmCBF1 and suggests that GhTUBB1 may be a new target gene for breeding dwarf and compact cultivars.

Genome-Wide and Expression Pattern Analysis of the HIT4 Gene Family Uncovers the Involvement of GHHIT4_4 in Response to Verticillium Wilt in Gossypium hirsutum

“…Silencing the GHTUBB gene results in a dwarf phenotype in cotton plants. We speculate that when the GH_D11G0591 gene is silenced, the expression level of GH_D13G2529 , which interacts with it, is also reduced, leading to a significant reduction in stem length of the plant [ 43 ].…”

Analysis of the Candidate Genes and Underlying Molecular Mechanism of P198, an RNAi-Related Dwarf and Sterile Line

“…The utilization of the dwarfing gene reduced height 1 ( Rht1 ) in Triticum and semi-dwarf1 ( sd1 ) in O.sativa produced semi-dwarf varieties that greatly increased crop yields and triggered the “Green Revolution” in the 1960s [ 37 , 39 , 40 ]. Since then, many efforts have been made to identify new dwarf mutants to develop new varieties and to reveal the underlying molecular mechanism of dwarfism [ 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 ]. Although many dwarfing genes have been characterized in Brassica napus ( B. napus ), using these alleles in breeding is rarely reported [ 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 ].…”

Advances in Molecular Plant Sciences

“…Xu et al delved into pollen development, revealing how the heterologous expression of CCCH zinc-finger proteins in Brassica campestris can induce cytoplasmic foci formation and pollen abortion, expanding our understanding of reproductive success dynamics [ 2 ]. Zhang et al elucidated the molecular basis of dwarfism in cotton plants by investigating the interaction between Gossypium hirsutum Tubulin beta-1 (GhTUBB1) and C-repeat-binding factor 1 (AmCBF1), offering insights into novel pathways for breeding compact cultivars [ 3 ]. Gao et al discovered that glutathione positively contributes to the proliferation of Pinus koraiensis embryogenic cells [ 4 ].…”