Zhibin Zhang, Juwu Gong, Zhen Zhang, Wankui Gong, Junwen Li, Yuzhen Shi, Aiying Liu, Qun Ge, Jingtao Pan, Senmiao Fan, Xiaoying Deng, Shaoqi Li, Quanjia Chen, Youlu Yuan & Haihong Shang

Theoretical and Applied Genetics February 2022; vol. 135 449–460

Key message

Based on the integration of QTL-mapping and regulatory network analyses, five high-confidence stable QTL regions, six candidate genes and two microRNAs that potentially affect the cottonseed oil content were discovered.

Abstract

Cottonseed oil is increasingly becoming a promising target for edible oil with its high content of unsaturated fatty acids. In this study, a recombinant inbred line (RIL) cotton population was constructed to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for the cottonseed oil content. A total of 39 QTLs were detected across eight different environments, of which five QTLs were stable. Forty-three candidate genes potentially involved in carbon metabolism, fatty acid synthesis and triacylglycerol biosynthesis processes were further obtained in the stable QTL regions. Transcriptome analysis showed that nineteen of these candidate genes expressed during  the developing cottonseed ovules and may affect the cottonseed oil content. Besides, transcription factor (TF) and microRNA (miRNA) co-regulatory network analyses based on the nineteen candidate genes suggested that six genes, two core miRNAs (ghr-miR2949b and ghr-miR2949c), and one TF GhHSL1 were considered to be closely associated with the cottonseed oil content. Moreover, four vital genes were validated by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR). These results provide insights into the oil accumulation mechanism in developing cottonseed ovules through the construction of a detailed oil accumulation model.

See https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00122-021-03975-z

Figure: Gossypium hirsutum seeds.jpg – Wikimedia Commons