Identification and functional analysis of BAG gene family contributing to verticillium wilt resistance in upland cotton

IF 4.2 2区生物学 Q2 BIOCHEMISTRY & MOLECULAR BIOLOGY

Plant Science Pub Date : 2025-04-08 DOI:10.1016/j.plantsci.2025.112501

Zhijuan Hu , Jingjie Yuan , Run Zou , Yilan Wang , Xuan Peng , Xingyong Yang , Chengjian Xie

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Cotton fiber is a primary textile material and a significant economic resource globally. Verticillium dahliae, a destructive soil-borne fungal pathogen, severely impacts cotton yields. The Bcl-2–associated athanogene (BAG) protein family, functioning as molecular chaperone co-chaperones, plays a crucial role in plant stress responses. In this study, 24, 12, and 11 BAG genes were identified in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum), Asiatic cotton (G. arboreum), and Levant cotton (G. raimondii), respectively. The BAG gene family demonstrates relative conservation throughout cotton evolution. Conserved domain analysis revealed that BAG proteins from these species universally contain the conserved BAG domain, with some members also possessing the UBL domain and CaM-binding motifs. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) was utilized to investigate gene function in upland cotton. Compared to the negative control, following V. dahliae infection, the silencing of GhBAG7.1 and GhBAG6.2 makes the plants more susceptible to infection, showing symptoms earlier. Quantitative Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis indicated that V. dahliae infection upregulated the expression of GhBAG7.1, GhBAG6.2, and GhBAG4.1 in upland cotton, while GhBAG4.4 expression was downregulated. Furthermore, following the silencing of the GhBAG6.2 gene, V. dahliae infection led to an initial upregulation of disease resistance-related genes (ERF1, PR5, PDF1.2, NPR1, PR1, OPR3), which was followed by a subsequent decrease in their expression. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a transient upregulation of defense-related pathways, including phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, MAPK signaling pathway, and plant-pathogen interactions, at 48- and 96-hours post-inoculation with V. dahliae. The findings provide a foundation for future research on stress-tolerant genes in cotton and offer new genetic resources for breeding disease-resistant cotton varieties.

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来源期刊

Plant Science 生物-生化与分子生物学

CiteScore

9.10

自引率

1.90%

发文量

322

审稿时长

33 days

期刊介绍： Plant Science will publish in the minimum of time, research manuscripts as well as commissioned reviews and commentaries recommended by its referees in all areas of experimental plant biology with emphasis in the broad areas of genomics, proteomics, biochemistry (including enzymology), physiology, cell biology, development, genetics, functional plant breeding, systems biology and the interaction of plants with the environment. Manuscripts for full consideration should be written concisely and essentially as a final report. The main criterion for publication is that the manuscript must contain original and significant insights that lead to a better understanding of fundamental plant biology. Papers centering on plant cell culture should be of interest to a wide audience and methods employed result in a substantial improvement over existing established techniques and approaches. Methods papers are welcome only when the technique(s) described is novel or provides a major advancement of established protocols.