In the world of cotton breeding, a new module has been discovered that could potentially revolutionize the way we approach high-yield cotton production. A recent study published in *Frontiers in Plant Science* has shed light on the evolutionary dynamics of the AINTEGUMENTA/AINTEGUMENTA-like (ANT/AIL) family and its role in regulating lint percentage and seed index in upland cotton.
The ANT/AIL family, which belongs to the APETALA 2/ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR superfamily, plays a crucial role in regulating various developmental processes in plants. However, limited research has been conducted on this family in upland cotton, despite its global importance as a major source of renewable textile fibers. This study, led by Jiwen Xu from the Advanced Seed Institute at Zhejiang University, aims to fill this gap and provide new insights into the mechanism of ANT/AILs in cotton fiber development.
The researchers began by exploring the evolution of the ANT family using phylogenetic trees. They discovered that the ANT family originated in Bryophytes and underwent a rapid expansion in the common ancestor of angiosperms. The total number of ANT members remained stable in both Monocots and Eudicots, with cotton containing 20 ANT genes. A duplication event in the ancestors of cotton led to the expansion of AIL6/AIL7.
The study then analyzed the expression of ANT/AILs in different cotton tissues using RNA sequencing data. The researchers found that GhAIL6 and GhTPL1 interacted with each other, as supported by yeast two-hybrid (Y2H), dual-luciferase complementation assay (LUC), and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) experiments. Furthermore, editing of GhAIL6 and GhTPL1 in upland cotton using CRISPR-Cas9 technology demonstrated that the AIL6-TPL1 module regulates seed index (SI) and lint percentage (LP).
The commercial implications of this research are significant. The study provides a new GhAIL6-GhTPL1 module for high-yield cotton breeding, which could potentially increase lint percentage and decrease seed index in cotton plants. This could lead to more efficient cotton production and a higher yield of textile fibers, benefiting the agriculture sector and the textile industry as a whole.
“The discovery of the GhAIL6-GhTPL1 module is a significant step forward in our understanding of cotton fiber development,” said lead author Jiwen Xu. “This module has the potential to revolutionize the way we approach cotton breeding and could lead to the development of new, high-yield cotton varieties.”
The study also offers novel insights into the evolutionary dynamics of ANT family members and their role in plant development. This research could pave the way for further studies on the ANT/AIL family in other plant species and their potential applications in agriculture.
In conclusion, this study provides a new module for high-yield cotton breeding and offers valuable insights into the evolutionary dynamics of the ANT family. The commercial implications of this research are significant, and it has the potential to shape the future of cotton production and the agriculture sector as a whole.