title: Phytochrome RNAi enhances major fibre quality and agronomic traits of the cotton Gossypium hirsutum L.
abstract: Simultaneous improvement of fibre quality, early-flowering, early-maturity and productivity in Upland cotton (G. hirsutum) is a challenging task for conventional breeding. The influence of red/far-red light ratio on the fibre length prompted us to examine the phenotypic effects of RNA interference (RNAi) of the cotton PHYA1 gene. Here we show a suppression of up to ~70% for the PHYA1 transcript, and compensatory overexpression of up to ~20-fold in the remaining phytochromes in somatically regenerated PHYA1 RNAi cotton plants. Two independent transformants of three generations exhibited vigorous root and vegetative growth, early-flowering, significantly improved upper half mean fibre length and an improvement in other major fibre characteristics. Small decreases in lint traits were observed but seed cotton yield was increased an average 10-17% compared with controls. RNAi-associated phenotypes were heritable and transferable via sexual hybridization. These results should aid in the development of early-maturing and productive Upland cultivars with superior fibre quality.
authors.affiliation: 1] Centre of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Ministry of Agriculture & Water Resources of Uzbekistan, and 'Uzpakhtasanoat' Association, University street-2, Kibray region, Tashkent 111215, Uzbekistan [2].
authors.forename: Ibrokhim Y
authors.initials: IY
authors.lastname: Abdurakhmonov
authors.affiliation: 1] Centre of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Ministry of Agriculture & Water Resources of Uzbekistan, and 'Uzpakhtasanoat' Association, University street-2, Kibray region, Tashkent 111215, Uzbekistan [2].
authors.forename: Zabardast T
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Buriev
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Crop Science Research Laboratory, Genetics and Precision Agriculture, P. O. Box 5367, 812 Highway 12E, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, USA.
authors.forename: Sukumar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saha
authors.affiliation: USDA-ARS, Crop Science Research Laboratory, Genetics and Precision Agriculture, P. O. Box 5367, 812 Highway 12E, Mississippi State, Mississippi 39762, USA.
authors.forename: Johnie N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: 1] Centre of Genomics and Bioinformatics, Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan, Ministry of Agriculture & Water Resources of Uzbekistan, and 'Uzpakhtasanoat' Association, University street-2, Kibray region, Tashkent 111215, Uzbekistan [2].
authors.forename: Abdusattor
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abdukarimov
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843, USA.
authors.forename: Alan E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Pepper
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D001947:Breeding; D032561:Cotton Fiber; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D003368:Gossypium / Q000502:physiology*; D010641:Phenotype; D051942:Phytochrome A / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D034622:RNA Interference / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D051942:Phytochrome A; D010940:Plant Proteins