Frontiers in Plant Science (Mar 2022)

Genome-Wide Analysis of the GW2-Like Genes in Gossypium and Functional Characterization of the Seed Size Effect of GhGW2-2D

  • Li Huang,
  • Li Huang,
  • Shuxian Yang,
  • Luyao Wu,
  • Yue Xin,
  • Jikun Song,
  • Li Wang,
  • Wenfeng Pei,
  • Wenfeng Pei,
  • Man Wu,
  • Jiwen Yu,
  • Xiaoyan Ma,
  • Shoulin Hu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.860922
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13

Abstract

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Cotton is one of the most economically important crops worldwide. Seed size is a vital trait for plants connected with yield and germination. GW2 encodes a RING_Ubox E3 ubiquitin ligase that controls seed development by affecting cell growth. Here, are few reports on GW2-like genes in cotton, and the function of GW2 in cotton is poorly understood. In the present study, a genome-wide analysis identified 6 and 3 GW2-like genes in each of the two cultivated tetraploids (Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense) and each of their diploid ancestral species (G. arboreum, G. raimondii), respectively. GhGW2-2D has the same functional domain and high sequence similarity with AtDA2 in Arabidopsis. Overexpression of GhGW2-2D in Arabidopsis significantly reduced seed and seedling size, suggesting GhGW2-2D is a potential target for regulating cotton seed size. These results provided information on the genetic and molecular basis of GW2-like genes in cotton, thus establishing a foundation for functional studies of cotton seeds.

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