Identification and functional analysis of a pollen fertility-associated gene GhGLP4 of Gossypium hirsutum L

• Published in: Theoretical and applied genetics Vol. 134; no. 10; pp. 3237 - 3247
• Main Authors: Zheng, Hongli, Wang, Rongjia, Jiang, Qimeng, Zhang, Diandian, Mu, Rongrong, Xu, Yihan, Nnaemeka, Vitalis E., Mei, Jun, Zhao, Yanyan, Cai, Fangfang, Yu, Dongliang, Sun, Yuqiang, Ke, Liping
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.10.2021; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Analysis; Anthers; Biochemistry; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Cotton; Cotton industry; Crop yields; Developmental stages; Fertility; Flowers - chemistry; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Gene silencing; Genes; Genetic engineering; Genetic research; Glycoproteins - genetics; Glycoproteins - metabolism; Gossypium - genetics; Gossypium - growth & development; Heterosis; Homeostasis; Hybrids; Hydrogen peroxide; Hydrogen Peroxide - analysis; Hydrogen Peroxide - metabolism; Life Sciences; Male sterility; NAD(P)H oxidase; Original Article; Oxidases; Phenotype; Plant Biochemistry; Plant Breeding/Biotechnology; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Infertility - genetics; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Pollen; Pollen - chemistry; Respiratory burst oxidase; Stamens; Stigmas (botany); Superoxide dismutase; Transcriptomes; China
• ISSN: 0040-5752; 1432-2242
• DOI: 10.1007/s00122-021-03888-x

Key message Cotton male fertility-associated gene GhGLP4 , encoding a germin-like protein, is essential for anthers development by keeping ROS homeostasis through reducing H 2 O 2 level. Utilization of heterosis is an important way to increase cotton yield and improve fiber quality in hybrid cotton development programs. Male sterility is used in the development of cotton hybrids to reduce the cost of hybrid seed production by eliminating the process of emasculation. From the transcriptome analysis of genic male sterile mutant ( ms1 ) and its background C312 of G. hirsutum , a gene encoding germin-like protein ( GhGLP4 ) was found significantly down-regulated in different developmental stages of ms1 anthers. To explore the gene function in cotton fertility, GhGLP4 was further studied and interfered by virus-induced gene silencing. In the GhGLP4 interfered cotton lines, the expression level of GhGLP4 was significantly decreased in the stamens, and the down-regulation of GhGLP4 resulted in pollen sac closure, stigma exertion, filament shortening, decrease in the number of anthers and complete male sterility. The expression levels of respiratory burst oxidase homologs (Rboh, NADPH oxidase) were significantly altered. Further investigation showed that the SOD activity decreased while the H 2 O 2 content increased in the atypical stamens. These results indicated that GhGLP4 gene affected the cotton anther development through maintenance of ROS homeostasis by H 2 O 2 reduction.