New Roles of Transcriptional and Translational Regulation in Early Stages of Cotton Fiber Development
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ABSTRACT: The fibers of cotton (Gossypium spp.) are a key agronomic resource. These fibers are made up of individual epidermal cells on the surface of the cotton seed which undergo a dramatic developmental shift, elongating into cells that are up to several centimeters long. Efforts to understand the causes of this shift has been hampered by the difficulty of isolating fiber cells from epidermal cells at the earliest stages of development. To address this issue, we characterized mRNA populations of early fiber and epidermal cells using laser capture microdissection (LCM) to isolate cell types with a high degree of specificity, and using RNA-seq, we were able to reveal key differences in the developmental programs between fibers and underlying epidermal cell layer. We were able to characterize cell type differences and temporal changes that occur in the earliest stages of fiber initiation and development at 0 and 2 Day Post Anthesis (DPA). We found differences in the expression of genes responsible for hormone activity, numerous transcription factor families, ribosomal activity, and cell cycle regulation, which leads the hypothesis that developmental changes leading to the arrest of the cell cycle in epidermal cells induces ribosome biosynthesis, leading to fiber cell initiation. Using chemical inhibitors of ribosome biosynthesis, Rbin-1, and cell cycle progression, Roscovitine, we were able to significantly affect the amount of fibers produced in cultured ovules, validating predictions made from our expression data. These results shed light on the early changes in gene activity controlling fiber development in cotton.
Project description:exceptional example of evolutionary innovation is the single-celled seed trichome in Gossypium ("cotton fiber"). We have used fiber development in Gossypium as a system to understand how morphology can rapidly evolve. Fiber has undergone considerable morphological changes between the short, tightly adherent fibers of G. longicalyx and the derived long, spinable fibers of its closest relative, G. herbaceum, that facilitated cotton domestication. We conducted comparative gene expression profiling across a developmental time-course of fibers from G. longicalyx and G. herbaceum using microarrays with ~ 22,000 genes. Expression changes between stages were temporally protracted in G. herbaceum relative to G. longicalyx, reflecting a prolongation of the ancestral developmental program. Gene expression and GO analyses showed that many genes involved with stress responses were up-regulated early in G. longicalyx fiber development. Several candidate genes up-regulated in G. herbaceum have been implicated in regulating redox levels and cell elongation processes. Three genes previously shown to modulate hydrogen peroxide levels were consistently expressed in domesticated and wild cotton species with long fibers but expression was not detected by qRT-PCR in wild species with short fibers. Hydrogen peroxide is important for cell elongation, but at high concentrations it becomes toxic, activating stress processes that may lead to early onset of secondary cell wall synthesis and the end of cell elongation. These observations suggest that the evolution of long spinable fibers in cotton was accompanied by novel expression of genes assisting in the regulation of reactive oxygen species levels. Our data suggest a model for the evolutionary origin of a novel morphology through differential gene regulation causing prolongation of an ancestral developmental program. Keywords: Cotton, fiber, evolution, time-point, comparative genomic hybridization, stress response genes, H2O2
Project description:exceptional example of evolutionary innovation is the single-celled seed trichome in Gossypium ("cotton fiber"). We have used fiber development in Gossypium as a system to understand how morphology can rapidly evolve. Fiber has undergone considerable morphological changes between the short, tightly adherent fibers of G. longicalyx and the derived long, spinable fibers of its closest relative, G. herbaceum, that facilitated cotton domestication. We conducted comparative gene expression profiling across a developmental time-course of fibers from G. longicalyx and G. herbaceum using microarrays with ~ 22,000 genes. Expression changes between stages were temporally protracted in G. herbaceum relative to G. longicalyx, reflecting a prolongation of the ancestral developmental program. Gene expression and GO analyses showed that many genes involved with stress responses were up-regulated early in G. longicalyx fiber development. Several candidate genes up-regulated in G. herbaceum have been implicated in regulating redox levels and cell elongation processes. Three genes previously shown to modulate hydrogen peroxide levels were consistently expressed in domesticated and wild cotton species with long fibers but expression was not detected by qRT-PCR in wild species with short fibers. Hydrogen peroxide is important for cell elongation, but at high concentrations it becomes toxic, activating stress processes that may lead to early onset of secondary cell wall synthesis and the end of cell elongation. These observations suggest that the evolution of long spinable fibers in cotton was accompanied by novel expression of genes assisting in the regulation of reactive oxygen species levels. Our data suggest a model for the evolutionary origin of a novel morphology through differential gene regulation causing prolongation of an ancestral developmental program. Keywords: Cotton, fiber, evolution, time-point, comparative genomic hybridization, stress response genes, H2O2 A balanced developmental loop design for microarray analysis was performed. For G. herbaceum (A1) and G. longicalyx (F), four fiber developmental time-points, 5, 10, 20 and 25 DPA were sampled. Within each species, hybridizations were performed between each pair of consecutive developmental stages by labeling one with Cy5 and the other with Cy3, and by closing the loop with a comparison of 25 and 5 dpa. In addition, 2 hybridizations were done between species at each time-point, using a dye swap for each pair. With three biological replications and 16 slides each, we generated gene expression data from a total of 48 microarrays.
Project description:Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is one of the world’s most important fiber crops, accounting for more than 90% of all cotton production. While their wild progenitors have relatively short and coarse, often tan-colored fibers, modern cotton cultivars possess longer, finer, stronger, and whiter fiber. In this study, the wild and cultivated cottons (YU-3 and TM-1) selected show significant differences on fibers at 10 day post-anthesis (DPA), 20 DPA and mature stages at the physiological level. In order to explore the effects of domestication, reveal molecular mechanisms underlying these phenotypic differences and better inform our efforts to further enhance cotton fiber quality, an iTRAQ-facilitated proteomic methods were performed on developing fibers. There were 6990 proteins identified, among them 336 were defined as differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) between fibers of wild versus domesticated cotton. The down- or up-regulated proteins in wild cotton were involved in Phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, Zeatin biosynthesis, Fatty acid elongation and other processes. Association analysis between transcroptome and proteome showed positive correlations between transcripts and proteins at both 10 DPA and 20 DPA. The difference of proteomics had been verified at the mRNA level by qPCR, also at physiological and biochemical level by POD activity determination and ZA content estimation. This work corroborate the major pathways involved in cotton fiber development and demonstrate that POD activity and zeatin content have a great potential related to fiber elongation and thickening.
Project description:To examine expression of miRNAs in cotton fiber development, we employed miRNA microarrays and compared miRNA accumulation level in cotton fibers, cotton leaves and mutant fibers.
Project description:RNAs from the upland cotton 9-DPA fibers were compared to the 9-DPA fiber-detached ovule. RNAs from the upland cotton 9-DPA fibers were compared to the 9-DPA fiber-detached ovule.
Project description:This experiment was designed to investigate the molecular basis of cotton fiber cell initiation. 32,000 ESTs were sequenced from Gossypium hirsutum L. TM-1 immature ovules (GH_TMO) and developed cotton oligonucleotide microarrays containing ~23,000 unigenes. Transcriptome analyses were performed to compare gene expression changes in laser capture microdissected fiber cell initials (or epidermis) and inner ovules. The gene expression profiles of the fiber cell initials were compared with those of the inner ovules in each developmental stage prior to, right at, and shortly after the initiation of fiber cells. Many genes in various molecular function or biological processes were over- or under-represented between fibers and non-fiber tissues in each developmental stage, suggesting temporal regulation of gene expression during early stages of fiber development.
Project description:DNA methylation is essential for plant and animal development. In plants, methylation occurs at CG, CHG, and CHH (H = A, C or T) sites via distinct pathways. Cotton is an allotetraploid consisting of two progenitor genomes. Each cotton fiber is a rapidly-elongating cell derived from the ovule epidermis, but the molecular basis for this developmental transition is unknown. Here we analyzed methylome, transcriptome, and small RNAome and revealed distinct changes in CHH methylation during ovule and fiber development. In ovules, CHH hypermethylation in promoters correlated positively with siRNAs, inducing RNA-dependent DNA methylation (RdDM), and up-regulation of ovule-preferred genes. In fibers, the ovule-derived cells generated additional heterochromatic CHH hypermethylation independent of RdDM, which repressed transposable elements (TEs) and nearby genes including fiber-related genes. Furthermore, CHG and CHH methylation in genic regions contributed to homoeolog expression bias in ovules and fibers. Inhibiting DNA methylation using 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine in cultured ovules has reduced fiber cell number and length, suggesting a potential role for DNA methylation in fiber development. Thus, RdDM-dependent methylation in promoters and RdDM-independent methylation in TEs and nearby genes could act as a double-lock feedback mechanism to mediate gene and TE expression, potentiating the transition from epidermal to fiber cells during ovule and seed development.
Project description:This experiment was designed to investigate the molecular basis of cotton fiber cell initiation. 32,000 ESTs were sequenced from Gossypium hirsutum L. TM-1 immature ovules (GH_TMO) and developed cotton oligonucleotide microarrays containing ~23,000 unigenes. Transcriptome analyses were performed to compare gene expression changes in laser capture microdissected fiber cell initials (or epidermis) and inner ovules. The gene expression profiles of the fiber cell initials were compared with those of the inner ovules in each developmental stage prior to, right at, and shortly after the initiation of fiber cells. Many genes in various molecular function or biological processes were over- or under-represented between fibers and non-fiber tissues in each developmental stage, suggesting temporal regulation of gene expression during early stages of fiber development. For gene expression studies using a large set cotton oligo-microarray, 4 developmental stages were chosen. To study differential expression during fiber initiation, ovules at -2 DPA, 0 DPA, and 2 DPA were used. One of the fiber elongation stage tissues (7 DPA) was included. In each developmental stage, epidermis was separated from inner ovules and subjected to the hybridization. In addition, epidermis and ovule comparisons were performed individually with 0 DPA as a control point for comparison.
Project description:Each cotton seed has approximately 25,000 singular fiber cells, which account for 25-30% epidermal cells. Understanding the basis of fiber cell initiation is critical for cotton yield improvement. However, it is difficult to separate and study fiber and non-fiber cells. Here we developed a reliable single-cell protocol to study transcriptome changes in Upland and Pima cotton and in a naked seed mutant. We analyzed over 40,000 single cells derived predominately from the epidermal layer of ovules during early stages of fiber development.
Project description:Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) is widely distributed worldwide, and improving the quality of its fiber is one of the most important tasks in cotton breeding. Cotton fibers are primarily composed of cellulose, which is synthesized and regulated by cellulose synthase (CesAs). However, the molecular mechanism of CesA genes in cotton is unclear. In this study, the cotton transcriptome and metabolome were used to investigate the significant function of CesA genes in fiber development. Finally, 321 metabolites were obtained, 84 of which were associated with the corresponding genes. Interestingly, a target gene named Gh_A08G144300, one of the CesA gene family members, was closely correlated with the development of cotton fibers. Then, identification and functional analysis were conducted. The target CesA gene Gh_A08G144300 was selected and analysed to determine its specific function in cotton fiber development. High-level gene expression of Gh_A08G144300 was found at different fiber development stages by RNA-seq analysis, and the silencing of Gh_A08G144300 visibly inhibited the growth of cotton fibers, showing that it is critical for their growth. This study provides an important reference for research on the gene function of Gh_A08G144300 and the regulatory mechanism of fiber development in cotton.