Genome-wide analysis reveals rapid and dynamic changes in miRNA and siRNA sequence and expression during ovule and fiber development in allotetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

BACKGROUND

Cotton fiber development undergoes rapid and dynamic changes in a single cell type, from fiber initiation, elongation, primary and secondary wall biosynthesis, to fiber maturation. Previous studies showed that cotton genes encoding putative MYB transcription factors and phytohormone responsive factors were induced during early stages of ovule and fiber development. Many of these factors are targets of microRNAs (miRNAs) that mediate target gene regulation by mRNA degradation or translational repression.

RESULTS

Here we sequenced and analyzed over 4 million small RNAs derived from fiber and non-fiber tissues in cotton. The 24-nucleotide small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were more abundant and highly enriched in ovules and fiber-bearing ovules relative to leaves. A total of 31 miRNA families, including 27 conserved, 4 novel miRNA families and a candidate-novel miRNA, were identified in at least one of the cotton tissues examined. Among 32 miRNA precursors representing 19 unique miRNA families identified, 7 were previously reported, and 25 new miRNA precursors were found in this study. Sequencing, miRNA microarray, and small RNA blot analyses showed a trend of repression of miRNAs, including novel miRNAs, during ovule and fiber development, which correlated with upregulation of several target genes tested. Moreover, 223 targets of cotton miRNAs were predicted from the expressed sequence tags derived from cotton tissues, including ovules and fibers. The cotton miRNAs examined triggered cleavage in the predicted sites of the putative cotton targets in ovules and fibers.

CONCLUSIONS

Enrichment of siRNAs in ovules and fibers suggests active small RNA metabolism and chromatin modifications during fiber development, whereas general repression of miRNAs in fibers correlates with upregulation of a dozen validated miRNA targets encoding transcription and phytohormone response factors, including the genes found to be highly expressed in cotton fibers. Rapid and dynamic changes in siRNAs and miRNAs may contribute to ovule and fiber development in allotetraploid cotton.

Genome-wide analysis reveals rapid and dynamic changes in miRNA and siRNA sequence and expression during ovule and fiber development in allotetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Rapid and dynamic changes in the expression of small RNAs are seen during ovule and fiber development in allotetraploid cotton.

Background

Cotton fiber development undergoes rapid and dynamic changes in a single cell type, from fiber initiation, elongation, primary and secondary wall biosynthesis, to fiber maturation. Previous studies showed that cotton genes encoding putative MYB transcription factors and phytohormone responsive factors were induced during early stages of ovule and fiber development. Many of these factors are targets of microRNAs (miRNAs) that mediate target gene regulation by mRNA degradation or translational repression.

Results

Here we sequenced and analyzed over 4 million small RNAs derived from fiber and non-fiber tissues in cotton. The 24-nucleotide small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) were more abundant and highly enriched in ovules and fiber-bearing ovules relative to leaves. A total of 31 miRNA families, including 27 conserved, 4 novel miRNA families and a candidate-novel miRNA, were identified in at least one of the cotton tissues examined. Among 32 miRNA precursors representing 19 unique miRNA families identified, 7 were previously reported, and 25 new miRNA precursors were found in this study. Sequencing, miRNA microarray, and small RNA blot analyses showed a trend of repression of miRNAs, including novel miRNAs, during ovule and fiber development, which correlated with upregulation of several target genes tested. Moreover, 223 targets of cotton miRNAs were predicted from the expressed sequence tags derived from cotton tissues, including ovules and fibers. The cotton miRNAs examined triggered cleavage in the predicted sites of the putative cotton targets in ovules and fibers.

Conclusions

Enrichment of siRNAs in ovules and fibers suggests active small RNA metabolism and chromatin modifications during fiber development, whereas general repression of miRNAs in fibers correlates with upregulation of a dozen validated miRNA targets encoding transcription and phytohormone response factors, including the genes found to be highly expressed in cotton fibers. Rapid and dynamic changes in siRNAs and miRNAs may contribute to ovule and fiber development in allotetraploid cotton.

Enrichment of a set of microRNAs during the cotton fiber development

Background

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is one of the most important economic crops and provides excellent fibers for textile manufacture. In addition to its industrial and agricultural importance, the fiber cell (plant trichome) also is a biological model system for exploring gene expression and regulation. Small RNAs regulate many aspects of plant growth and development. However, whether small RNAs are involved in regulation of fiber cell development is unknown.

Results

We adopted a deep sequencing approach developed by Solexa (Illumina Inc.) to investigate global expression and complexity of small RNAs during cotton fiber initiation and development. We constructed two small RNA libraries prepared from wild type (WT) and fuzz/lintless (fl Mutant in the WT background) cotton ovules, respectively. Each library was sequenced individually and generated more than 6-7 million short sequences, resulting in a total of over 13 million sequence reads. At least 22 conserved candidate miRNA families including 111 members were identified. Seven families make up the vast majority of expressed miRNAs in developing cotton ovules. In total 120 unique target genes were predicted for most of conserved miRNAs. In addition, we identified 2 cell-type-specific novel miRNA candidates in cotton ovules. Our study has demonstrated significant differences in expression abundance of miRNAs between the wild-type and mutant, and suggests that these differentially expressed miRNAs potentially regulate transcripts distinctly involved in cotton fiber development.

Conclusion

The present study is the first to deep sequence the small RNA population of G. hirsutum ovules where cotton fibers initiate and develop. Millions of unique miRNA sequences ranging from 18~28 nt in length were detected. Our results support the importance of miRNAs in regulating the development of different cell types and indicate that identification of a comprehensive set of miRNAs in cotton fiber cells would facilitate our understanding of the regulatory mechanisms for fiber cell initiation and elongation.

[Advances of gene enrichment in plant genome]

The genome size varies greatly in higher plants. Repetitive sequences account for most of the large plant genomes while low-copy or single copy genic sequences, referred to as gene space, take up only a small portion of the genomes. Considering the large amount of repetitive sequences, it is a great challenge to obtain genic sequences using high-throughout methods in non-model plants bearing large genomes. Currently, several approaches have been developed for gene enrichment on a genome-wide scale, such as cDNA library, methylation filtration library, high Cot library and transposon tagging. Here, we reviewed the technical principles, advantages and disadvantages of these methods, as well as the recent development of methylation filtration technology. An in-depth discussion was performed for selection of one method or combination of methods according to the research objectives and plant materials, especially for plants with large genomes.

Conserved miRNA analysis in Gossypium hirsutum through small RNA sequencing

Several miRNA family and their targets in cotton had been identified by computational methods based on the conserved characterization of miRNAs. So far, there are no experiments to validate the existence of miRNAs in cotton. In this study, to analyze the miRNAs in cotton, a small RNA library of sequences from 18 to 26 nt of Gossypium hirsutum seedling has been built by high-throughput sequencing. In this library, 34 conserved miRNA families were identified by homology search and the miRNA sequences of them were also found in the library. Furthermore, potential targets of these conserved miRNA families were predicted in cotton TC library. However, based on the mature miRNAs and their miR sequences, only 8 conserved miRNA encoding loci (miR156, miR157a, miR157b, miR162, miR164, miR393, miR399, miR827) were identified from cotton EST sequences. Multiple encoding loci of some miRNAs were identified by comparing the cloned miRNA and miR sequences.

MicroRNAs in adult and embryonic neurogenesis

Neurogenesis is defined as a process that includes the proliferation of neural stem/progenitor cells (NPCs) and the differentiation of these cells into new neurons that integrate into the existing neuronal circuitry. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a recently discovered class of small non-protein coding RNA molecules implicated in a wide range of diverse gene regulatory mechanisms. More and more data demonstrate that numerous miRNAs are expressed in a spatially and temporally controlled manners in the nervous system, which suggests that miRNAs have important roles in the gene regulatory networks involved in both brain development and adult neural plasticity. This review summarizes the roles of miRNAs-mediated gene regulation in the nervous system with focus on neurogenesis in both embryonic and adult brains.

Linkage disequilibrium based association mapping of fiber quality traits in G. hirsutum L. variety germplasm

Cotton is the world's leading cash crop, but it lags behind other major crops for marker-assisted breeding due to limited polymorphisms and a genetic bottleneck through historic domestication. This underlies a need for characterization, tagging, and utilization of existing natural polymorphisms in cotton germplasm collections. Here we report genetic diversity, population characteristics, the extent of linkage disequilibrium (LD), and association mapping of fiber quality traits using 202 microsatellite marker primer pairs in 335 G. hirsutum germplasm grown in two diverse environments, Uzbekistan and Mexico. At the significance threshold (r (2) >or= 0.1), a genome-wide average of LD extended up to genetic distance of 25 cM in assayed cotton variety accessions. Genome wide LD at r (2) >or= 0.2 was reduced to approximately 5-6 cM, providing evidence of the potential for association mapping of agronomically important traits in cotton. Results suggest linkage, selection, inbreeding, population stratification, and genetic drift as the potential LD-generating factors in cotton. In two environments, an average of ~20 SSR markers was associated with each main fiber quality traits using a unified mixed liner model (MLM) incorporating population structure and kinship. These MLM-derived significant associations were confirmed in general linear model and structured association test, accounting for population structure and permutation-based multiple testing. Several common markers, showing the significant associations in both Uzbekistan and Mexican environments, were determined. Between 7 and 43% of the MLM-derived significant associations were supported by a minimum Bayes factor at 'moderate to strong' and 'strong to very strong' evidence levels, suggesting their usefulness for marker-assisted breeding programs and overall effectiveness of association mapping using cotton germplasm resources.

Molecular diversity and gene expression of cotton ERF transcription factors reveal that group IXa members are responsive to jasmonate, ethylene and Xanthomonas

Several ethylene-response factor (ERF) transcription factors are believed to play a crucial role in the activation of plant defence responses, but little is known about the relationships between the diversity of this family and the functions of groups or individual ERFs in this process. In this study, 200 ERF genes from the unigene cotton database were identified. Conserved amino acid residues and phylogeny reconstruction using the AP2 conserved domain suggest that the classification into 10 major groups used for Arabidopsis and rice is applicable to the cotton ERF family. Based on in silico studies, we predict that group IX ERF genes in cotton are involved in jasmonate (JA), ethylene (ET) and pathogen responses. To test this hypothesis, we analysed the transcript profiles of the group IXa subfamily in the regulation of specific resistance to Xanthomonas campestris pathovar malvacearum. The expression of four members of group IXa was induced on challenge with X. campestris pv. malvacearum. Furthermore, the expression of several ERF genes of group IXa was induced synergistically by JA in combination with ET, suggesting that the encoded ERF proteins may play key roles in the integration of both signals to activate JA- and ET-dependent responses.

Identification of associations between SSR markers and fiber traits in an exotic germplasm derived from multiple crosses among Gossypium tetraploid species

Genetic improvement in yield and fiber quality is needed for worldwide cotton production. Identification of molecular markers associated with fiber-related traits can facilitate selection for these traits in breeding. This study was designed to identify associations between SSR markers and fiber traits using an exotic germplasm population, species polycross (SP), derived from multiple crosses among Gossypium tetraploid species. The SP population underwent 11 generations of mixed random mating and selfing followed by 12 generations of selfing. A total of 260 lines were evaluated for fiber-related traits under three environments in 2005 and 2006. Large genotypic variance components in traits were identified relative to components of genotype x environment. Eighty-six primer pairs amplified a total of 314 polymorphic fragments among 260 lines. A total of 202 fragments with above 6% allele frequency were analyzed for associations. Fifty-nine markers were found to have a significant (P < 0.05, 0.01, or 0.001) association with six fiber traits. There were six groups identified within the population using structure analysis. Allele frequency divergence among six groups ranged from 0.11 to 0.27. Of the 59 marker-trait associations, 39 remained significant after correction for population structure and kinship using a mixed linear model. The effect of population sub-structure on associations was most significant in boll weight among the traits analyzed. The sub-structure among the SP lines may be caused by natural selection, the breeding method applied during development of inbred lines, and unknown factors. The identified marker-trait associations can be useful in breeding and help determine genetic mechanisms underlying interrelationships among fiber traits.

A specialized outer layer of the primary cell wall joins elongating cotton fibers into tissue-like bundles

Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) provides the world's dominant renewable textile fiber, and cotton fiber is valued as a research model because of its extensive elongation and secondary wall thickening. Previously, it was assumed that fibers elongated as individual cells. In contrast, observation by cryo-field emission-scanning electron microscopy of cotton fibers developing in situ within the boll demonstrated that fibers elongate within tissue-like bundles. These bundles were entrained by twisting fiber tips and consolidated by adhesion of a cotton fiber middle lamella (CFML). The fiber bundles consolidated via the CFML ultimately formed a packet of fiber around each seed, which helps explain how thousands of cotton fibers achieve their great length within a confined space. The cell wall nature of the CFML was characterized using transmission electron microscopy, including polymer epitope labeling. Toward the end of elongation, up-regulation occurred in gene expression and enzyme activities related to cell wall hydrolysis, and targeted breakdown of the CFML restored fiber individuality. At the same time, losses occurred in certain cell wall polymer epitopes (as revealed by comprehensive microarray polymer profiling) and sugars within noncellulosic matrix components (as revealed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of derivatized neutral and acidic glycosyl residues). Broadly, these data show that adhesion modulated by an outer layer of the primary wall can coordinate the extensive growth of a large group of cells and illustrate dynamic changes in primary wall structure and composition occurring during the differentiation of one cell type that spends only part of its life as a tissue.

Integrating sequence with FPC fingerprint maps

Recent advances in both clone fingerprinting and draft sequencing technology have made it increasingly common for species to have a bacterial artificial clone (BAC) fingerprint map, BAC end sequences (BESs) and draft genomic sequence. The FPC (fingerprinted contigs) software package contains three modules that maximize the value of these resources. The BSS (blast some sequence) module provides a way to easily view the results of aligning draft sequence to the BESs, and integrates the results with the following two modules. The MTP (minimal tiling path) module uses sequence and fingerprints to determine a minimal tiling path of clones. The DSI (draft sequence integration) module aligns draft sequences to FPC contigs, displays them alongside the contigs and identifies potential discrepancies; the alignment can be based on either individual BES alignments to the draft, or on the locations of BESs that have been assembled into the draft. FPC also supports high-throughput fingerprint map generation as its time-intensive functions have been parallelized for Unix-based desktops or servers with multiple CPUs. Simulation results are provided for the MTP, DSI and parallelization. These features are in the FPC V9.3 software package, which is freely available.

Methodologies for in vitro cloning of small RNAs and application for plant genome(s)

The "RNA revolution" that started at the end of the 20th century with the discovery of post-transcriptional gene silencing and its mechanism via RNA interference (RNAi) placed tiny 21-24 nucleotide long noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) in the forefront of biology as one of the most important regulatory elements in a host of physiologic processes. The discovery of new classes of ncRNAs including endogenous small interfering RNAs, microRNAs, and PIWI-interacting RNAs is a hallmark in the understanding of RNA-dependent gene regulation. New generation high-throughput sequencing technologies further accelerated the studies of this "tiny world" and provided their global characterization and validation in many biological systems with sequenced genomes. Nevertheless, for the many "yet-unsequenced" plant genomes, the discovery of small RNA world requires in vitro cloning from purified cellular RNAs. Thus, reproducible methods for in vitro small RNA cloning are of paramount importance and will remain so into the foreseeable future. In this paper, we present a description of existing small RNA cloning methods as well as next-generation sequencing methods that have accelerated this research along with a description of the application of one in vitro cloning method in an initial small RNA survey in the "still unsequenced" allotetraploid cotton genome.

Construction of a bacterial artificial chromosome library of TM-1, a standard line for genetics and genomics in Upland cotton

A bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library was constructed for Gossypium hirsutum acc. TM-1, a genetic and genomic standard line for Upland cotton. The library consists of 147 456 clones with an average insert size of 122.8 kb ranging from 97 to 240 kb. About 96.0% of the clones have inserts over 100 kb. Therefore, this library represents theoretically 7.4 haploid genome equivalents based on an AD genome size of 2 425 Mb. Clones were stored in 384 384(-) well plates and arrayed into multiplex pools for rapid and reliable library screening. BAC screening was carried out by four-round polymerase chain reactions using 23 simple sequence repeats (SSR) markers, three sequence-related amplified polymorphism markers and one pair of primers for a gene associated with fiber development to test the quality of the library. Correspondingly, in total 92 positive BAC clones were identified with an average four positive clones per SSR marker, ranging from one to eight hits. Additionally, since these SSR markers have been localized to chromosome 12 (A12) and 26 (D12) according to the genetic map, these BAC clones are expected to serve as seeds for the physical mapping of these two homologous chromosomes, sequentially map-based cloning of quantitative trait loci or genes associated with important agronomic traits.

Molecular diversity and association mapping of fiber quality traits in exotic G. hirsutum L. germplasm

The narrow genetic base of cultivated cotton germplasm is hindering the cotton productivity worldwide. Although potential genetic diversity exists in Gossypium genus, it is largely 'underutilized' due to photoperiodism and the lack of innovative tools to overcome such challenges. The application of linkage disequilibrium (LD)-based association mapping is an alternative powerful molecular tool to dissect and exploit the natural genetic diversity conserved within cotton germplasm collections, greatly accelerating still 'lagging' cotton marker-assisted selection (MAS) programs. However, the extent of genome-wide linkage disequilibrium (LD) has not been determined in cotton. We report the extent of genome-wide LD and association mapping of fiber quality traits by using a 95 core set of microsatellite markers in a total of 285 exotic Gossypium hirsutum accessions, comprising of 208 landrace stocks and 77 photoperiodic variety accessions. We demonstrated the existence of useful genetic diversity within exotic cotton germplasm. In this germplasm set, 11-12% of SSR loci pairs revealed a significant LD. At the significance threshold (r(2)>/=0.1), a genome-wide average of LD declines within the genetic distance at <10 cM in the landrace stocks germplasm and >30 cM in variety germplasm. Genome wide LD at r(2)>/=0.2 was reduced on average to approximately 1-2 cM in the landrace stock germplasm and 6-8 cM in variety germplasm, providing evidence of the potential for association mapping of agronomically important traits in cotton. We observed significant population structure and relatedness in assayed germplasm. Consequently, the application of the mixed liner model (MLM), considering both kinship (K) and population structure (Q) detected between 6% and 13% of SSR markers associated with the main fiber quality traits in cotton. Our results highlight for the first time the feasibility and potential of association mapping, with consideration of the population structure and stratification existing in cotton germplasm resources. The number of SSR markers associated with fiber quality traits in diverse cotton germplasm, which broadly covered many historical meiotic events, should be useful to effectively exploit potentially new genetic variation by using MAS programs.

A physical map of the 1-gigabase bread wheat chromosome 3B

As the staple food for 35% of the world's population, wheat is one of the most important crop species. To date, sequence-based tools to accelerate wheat improvement are lacking. As part of the international effort to sequence the 17-billion-base-pair hexaploid bread wheat genome (2n = 6x = 42 chromosomes), we constructed a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based integrated physical map of the largest chromosome, 3B, that alone is 995 megabases. A chromosome-specific BAC library was used to assemble 82% of the chromosome into 1036 contigs that were anchored with 1443 molecular markers, providing a major resource for genetic and genomic studies. This physical map establishes a template for the remaining wheat chromosomes and demonstrates the feasibility of constructing physical maps in large, complex, polyploid genomes with a chromosome-based approach.

Characteristics and analysis of simple sequence repeats in the cotton genome based on a linkage map constructed from a BC1 population between Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense

In the past decade, several molecular maps of cotton have been constructed using diverse DNA molecular markers and mapping populations. In this study, an interspecific linkage map of allotetraploid cotton was developed using a BC1 population ((Gossypium hirsutum x G. barbadense) x G. hirsutum). This map was genome-wide and was based entirely on simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. Forty-four linkage groups were assigned to 26 chromosomes, with 917 loci spanning 5452.2 cM of the genome. The average distance between loci was 5.9 cM, providing uniform coverage of the A subgenome and D subgenome. Characteristics of this map were analyzed in detail, including the distributions of genomic SSRs, expressed sequence tag (EST)-SSRs, and distorted markers. Furthermore, the relationships between motif characteristics (size, type, length) and the level of polymorphism in EST-SSRs were also surveyed. The results showed that tetranucleotide and dinucleotide repeats had similar levels of polymorphism, and ACAT, AC, and ACT repeats had the highest polymorphism rates. Loci with lengths of 27 bp, 33 bp, and 24 bp were more likely to be polymorphic. This work will provide information to assist in designing future EST-SSRs.

Small RNA regulation of ovule development in the cotton plant, G. hirsutum L

BACKGROUND

The involvement of small RNAs in cotton fiber development is under explored. The objective of this work was to directly clone, annotate, and analyze small RNAs of developing ovules to reveal the candidate small interfering RNA/microRNAs involved in cotton ovule and fiber development.

RESULTS

We cloned small RNA sequences from 0-10 days post anthesis (DPA) developing cotton ovules. A total of 6691 individual colonies were sequenced from 11 ovule small RNA libraries that yielded 2482 candidate small RNAs with a total of 583 unique sequence signatures. The majority (362, 62.1%) of these 583 sequences were 24 nt long with an additional 145 sequences (24.9%) in the 21 nt to 23 nt size range. Among all small RNA sequence signatures only three mirBase-confirmed plant microRNAs (miR172, miR390 and ath-miR853-like) were identified and only two miRNA-containing clones were recovered beyond 4 DPA. Further, among all of the small RNA sequences obtained from the small RNA pools in developing ovules, only 15 groups of sequences were observed in more than one DPA period. Of these, only five were present in more than two DPA periods. Two of these were miR-172 and miR-390 and a third was identified as 5.8S rRNA sequence. Thus, the vast majority of sequence signatures were expressed in only one DPA period and this included nearly all of the 24 nt sequences. Finally, we observed a distinct DPA-specific expression pattern among our clones based upon sequence abundance. Sequences occurring only once were far more likely to be seen in the 0 to 2 DPA periods while those occurring five or more times were the majority in later periods.

CONCLUSION

This initial survey of small RNA sequences present in developing ovules in cotton indicates that fiber development is under complex small RNA regulation. Taken together, the results of this initial small RNA screen of developing cotton ovules is most consistent with a model, proposed by Baulcombe, that there are networks of small RNAs that are induced in a cascade fashion by the action of miRNAs and that the nature of these cascades can change from tissue to tissue and developmental stage to developmental stage.

Geminivirus-mediated gene silencing from Cotton leaf crumple virus is enhanced by low temperature in cotton

A silencing vector for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) was developed from the geminivirus Cotton leaf crumple virus (CLCrV). The CLCrV coat protein gene was replaced by up to 500 bp of DNA homologous to one of two endogenous genes, the magnesium chelatase subunit I gene (ChlI) or the phytoene desaturase gene (PDS). Cotyledons of cotton cultivar 'Deltapine 5415' bombarded with the modified viral vectors manifested chlorosis due to silencing of either ChlI or PDS in approximately 70% of inoculated plants after 2 to 3 weeks. Use of the green fluorescence protein gene showed that replication of viral DNA was restricted to vascular tissue and that the viral vector could transmit to leaves, roots, and the ovule integument from which fibers originate. Temperature had profound effects on vector DNA accumulation and the spread of endogenous gene silencing. Consistent with reports that silencing against viruses increases at higher temperatures, plants grown at a 30 degrees C/26 degrees C day/night cycle had a greater than 10-fold reduction in viral DNA accumulation compared to plants grown at 22 degrees C/18 degrees C. However, endogenous gene silencing decreased at 30 degrees C/26 degrees C. There was an approximately 7 d delay in the onset of gene silencing at 22 degrees C/18 degrees C, but silencing was extensive and persisted throughout the life of the plant. The extent of silencing in new growth could be increased or decreased by changing temperature regimes at various times following the onset of silencing. Our experiments establish the use of the CLCrV silencing vector to study gene function in cotton and show that temperature can have a major impact on the extent of geminivirus-induced gene silencing.

A preliminary analysis of genome structure and composition in Gossypium hirsutum

Background

Upland cotton has the highest yield, and accounts for > 95% of world cotton production. Decoding upland cotton genomes will undoubtedly provide the ultimate reference and resource for structural, functional, and evolutionary studies of the species. Here, we employed GeneTrek and BAC tagging information approaches to predict the general composition and structure of the allotetraploid cotton genome.

Results

142 BAC sequences from Gossypium hirsutum cv. Maxxa were downloaded and confirmed. These BAC sequence analysis revealed that the tetraploid cotton genome contains over 70,000 candidate genes with duplicated gene copies in homoeologous A- and D-subgenome regions. Gene distribution is uneven, with gene-rich and gene-free regions of the genome. Twenty-one percent of the 142 BACs lacked genes. BAC gene density ranged from 0 to 33.2 per 100 kb, whereas most gene islands contained only one gene with an average of 1.5 genes per island. Retro-elements were found to be a major component, first an enriched LTR/gypsy and second LTR/copia. Most LTR retrotransposons were truncated and in nested structures. In addition, 166 polymorphic loci amplified with SSRs developed from 70 BAC clones were tagged on our backbone genetic map. Seventy-five percent (125/166) of the polymorphic loci were tagged on the D-subgenome. By comprehensively analyzing the molecular size of amplified products among tetraploid G. hirsutum cv. Maxxa, acc. TM-1, and G. barbadense cv. Hai7124, and diploid G. herbaceum var. africanum and G. raimondii, 37 BACs, 12 from the A- and 25 from the D-subgenome, were further anchored to their corresponding subgenome chromosomes. After a large amount of genes sequence comparison from different subgenome BACs, the result showed that introns might have no contribution to different subgenome size in Gossypium.

Conclusion

This study provides us with the first glimpse of cotton genome complexity and serves as a foundation for tetraploid cotton whole genomesequencing in the future.

An integrated genetic and physical map of homoeologous chromosomes 12 and 26 in Upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.)

Background

Upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.) is the leading fiber crop worldwide. Genetic improvement of fiber quality and yield is facilitated by a variety of genomics tools. An integrated genetic and physical map is needed to better characterize quantitative trait loci and to allow for the positional cloning of valuable genes. However, developing integrated genomic tools for complex allotetraploid genomes, like that of cotton, is highly experimental. In this report, we describe an effective approach for developing an integrated physical framework that allows for the distinguishing between subgenomes in cotton.

Results

A physical map has been developed with 220 and 115 BAC contigs for homeologous chromosomes 12 and 26, respectively, covering 73.49 Mb and 34.23 Mb in physical length. Approximately one half of the 220 contigs were anchored to the At subgenome only, while 48 of the 115 contigs were allocated to the Dt subgenome only. Between the two chromosomes, 67 contigs were shared with an estimated overall physical similarity between the two chromosomal homeologs at 40.0 %. A total of 401 fiber unigenes plus 214 non-fiber unigenes were located to chromosome 12 while 207 fiber unigenes plus 183 non-fiber unigenes were allocated to chromosome 26. Anchoring was done through an overgo hybridization approach and all anchored ESTs were functionally annotated via blast analysis.

Conclusion

This integrated genomic map describes the first pair of homoeologous chromosomes of an allotetraploid genome in which BAC contigs were identified and partially separated through the use of chromosome-specific probes and locus-specific genetic markers. The approach used in this study should prove useful in the construction of genome-wide physical maps for polyploid plant genomes including Upland cotton. The identification of Gene-rich islands in the integrated map provides a platform for positional cloning of important genes and the targeted sequencing of specific genomic regions.

A microsatellite-based, gene-rich linkage map reveals genome structure, function and evolution in Gossypium

The mapping of functional genes plays an important role in studies of genome structure, function, and evolution, as well as allowing gene cloning and marker-assisted selection to improve agriculturally important traits. Simple sequence repeats (SSRs) developed from expressed sequence tags (ESTs), EST-SSR (eSSR), can be employed as putative functional marker loci to easily tag corresponding functional genes. In this paper, 2218 eSSRs, 1554 from G. raimondii-derived and 754 from G. hirsutum-derived ESTs, were developed and used to screen polymorphisms to enhance our backbone genetic map in allotetraploid cotton. Of the 1554 G. raimondii-derived eSSRs, 744 eSSRs were able to successfully amplify polymorphisms between our two mapping parents, TM-1 and Hai7124, presenting a polymorphic rate of 47.9%. However, only a 23.9% (159/754) polymorphic rate was produced from G. hirsutum-derived eSSRs. No relationship was observed between the level of polymorphism, motif type, and tissue origin, but the polymorphism appeared to be correlated with repeat type. After integrating these new eSSRs, our enhanced genetic map consists of 1790 loci in 26 linkage groups and covers 3425.8 cM with an average intermarker distance of 1.91 cM. This microsatellite-based, gene-rich linkage map contains 71.96% functional marker loci, of which 87.11% are eSSR loci. There were 132 duplicated loci bridging 13 homeologous At/Dt chromosome pairs. Two reciprocal translocations after polyploidization between A2 and A3, and between A4 and A5, chromosomes were further confirmed. A functional analysis of 975 ESTs producing 1122 eSSR loci tagged in the map revealed that 60% had clear BLASTX hits (<1e(-10)) to the Uniprot database and that 475 were associated mainly with genes belonging to the three major gene ontology categories of biological process, cellular component, and molecular function; many of the ESTs were associated with two or more category functions. The results presented here will provide new insights for future investigations of functional and evolutionary genomics, especially those associated with cotton fiber improvement.