Raffinose degradation-related gene was screened out responding to salinity stress through expression patterns of family genes.

A-galactosidases (AGALs), the oligosaccharide (RFO) catabolic genes of the raffinose family, play crucial roles in plant growth and development and in adversity stress. They can break down the non-reducing terminal galactose residues of glycolipids and sugar chains. In this study, the whole genome of AGALs was analyzed.

GhIMP10D, an inositol monophosphates family gene, enhances ascorbic acid and antioxidant enzyme activities to confer alkaline tolerance in Gossypium hirsutum L.

Background: Inositol monophosphates (IMP) are key enzymes in the ascorbic acid (AsA) synthesis pathways, which play vital roles in regulating plant growth and development and stresses tolerance. To date, no comprehensive analysis of the expression profile of IMP genes and their functions under abiotic stress in cotton has been reported.

Results: In this study, the genetic characteristics, phylogenetic evolution, cis-acting elements and expression patterns of IMP gene family in cotton were systematically analyzed.

Characterization and gene expression patterns analysis implies BSK family genes respond to salinity stress in cotton.

Identification, evolution, and expression patterns of BSK (BR signaling kinase) family genes revealed that BSKs participated in the response of cotton to abiotic stress and maintained the growth of cotton in extreme environment. The steroidal hormone brassinosteroids (BR) play important roles in different plant biological processes. This study focused on BSK which were downstream regulatory element of BR, in order to help to decipher the functions of BSKs genes from cotton on growth development and responses to abiotic stresses and lean the evolutionary relationship of cotton BSKs.

Combined transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses elucidate key salt-responsive biomarkers to regulate salt tolerance in cotton.

Background: Cotton is an important industrial crop and a pioneer crop for saline-alkali land restoration. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the cotton response to salt is not completely understood.

Methods: Here, we used metabolome data and transcriptome data to analyze the salt tolerance regulatory network of cotton and metabolic biomarkers.

Systematic analysis and expression of Gossypium 2ODD superfamily highlight the roles of GhLDOXs responding to alkali and other abiotic stress in cotton.

Background: 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase (2ODD) is the second largest family of oxidases involved in various oxygenation/hydroxylation reactions in plants. Many members in the family regulate gene transcription, nucleic acid modification/repair and secondary metabolic synthesis. The 2ODD family genes also function in the formation of abundant flavonoids during anthocyanin synthesis, thereby modulating plant development and response to diverse stresses.

GhAAO2 was observed responding to NaHCO stress in cotton compared to AAO family genes.

Background: Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important stress hormone, the changes of abscisic acid content can alter plant tolerance to stress, abscisic acid is crucial for studying plant responses to abiotic stress. The abscisic acid aldehyde oxidase (AAO) plays a vital role in the final step in the synthesis of abscisic acid, therefore, understanding the function of AAO gene family is of great significance for plants to response to abiotic stresses.

Result: In this study, 6, 8, 4 and 4 AAO genes were identified in four cotton species.

Genome-wide identification of GAD family genes suggests functionally respond to Cd stress in cotton.

Glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) mainly regulated the biosynthesis of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and played an important role in plant growth and stress resistance. To explore the potential function of GAD in cotton growth, the genome-wide identification, structure, and expression analysis of GAD genes were performed in this study. There were 10, 9, 5, and 5 GAD genes identified in , , , and , respectively.

Secondary metabolite pathway of SDG (secoisolariciresinol) was observed to trigger ROS scavenging system in response to Ca stress in cotton.

Ca is an essential nutrient for plants and animals which plays an important role in plant signal transduction. Although the function and regulation of mechanism of Ca in alleviating various biotic and abiotic stresses in plants have been studied deeply, the molecular mechanism to adapt high Ca stress is still unclear in cotton. In this study, 103 cotton accessions were germinated under 200 mM CaCl stress, and two extremely Ca-resistant (Zhong 9807, R) and Ca-sensitive (CRI 50, S) genotypes were selected from 103 cotton accessions.

Genome-wide identification and characteristic analysis of the downstream melatonin metabolism gene GhM2H in Gossypium hirsutum L.

Background: Melatonin 2-hydroxylase (M2H) is the first enzyme in the catabolism pathway of melatonin, which catalyzes the production of 2-hydroxymelatonin (2-OHM) from melatonin. The content of 2-hydroxymelatonin in plants is much higher than that of melatonin. So M2H may be a key enzyme in the metabolic pathway of melatonin.