AUTHOR=Li Ziyin , Shi Yuzhen , Xiao Xianghui , Song Jikun , Li Pengtao , Gong Juwu , Zhang Haibo , Gong Wankui , Liu Aiying , Peng Renhai , Shang Haihong , Ge Qun , Li Junwen , Pan Jingtao , Chen Quanjia , Lu Quanwei , Yuan Youlu 

TITLE=Genome-wide characterization of trichome birefringence-like genes provides insights into fiber yield improvement

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1127760

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2023.1127760

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Cotton is an important fiber crop. The cotton fiber is an extremely long trichome that develops from the epidermis of an ovule. The trichome is a general and multi-function plant organ, and <italic>trichome birefringence-like</italic> (<italic>TBL</italic>) genes are related to trichome development. At the genome-wide scale, we identified <italic>TBLs</italic> in four cotton species, comprising two cultivated tetraploids (<italic>Gossypium hirsutum</italic> and <italic>G. barbadense</italic>) and two ancestral diploids (<italic>G. arboreum</italic> and <italic>G. raimondii</italic>). Phylogenetic analysis showed that the <italic>TBL</italic> genes clustered into six groups. We focused on <italic>GH_D02G1759</italic> in group IV because it was located in a lint percentage-related quantitative trait locus. In addition, we used transcriptome profiling to characterize the role of <italic>TBLs</italic> in group IV in fiber development. The overexpression of <italic>GH_D02G1759</italic> in <italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</italic> resulted in more trichomes on the stems, thereby confirming its function in fiber development. Moreover, the potential interaction network was constructed based on the co-expression network, and it was found that <italic>GH_D02G1759</italic> may interact with several genes to regulate fiber development. These findings expand our knowledge of <italic>TBL</italic> family members and provide new insights for cotton molecular breeding.</p>