Working group session:
Functional Genomics
Presentation type:
oral
Authors:
Haigler, Candace H.; Stiff, Michael R.; Tuttle, J. Rich
Presenter:
Haigler, Candace H.
Correspondent:
Haigler, Candace H.
Abstract:
We aim to identify regulatory processes that confer the higher fiber quality in Gossypium barbadense with the aim of transferring those traits in a targeted manner to higher yielding and more adaptable G. hirsutum. We characterized the progression of fiber development in elite cultivars of G. hirsutum and G. barbadense growing in parallel in a highly temperature-controlled greenhouse to reveal experimentally convenient commonalities and differences in the comparative stages of fiber development. The quality of the fiber was analyzed to reveal the expected differences, e.g. longer and stronger fiber in G. barbadense. We then analyzed comparative changes in cell wall composition in the two species using a comprehensive ELISA-based approach, finding a difference that is related to the composition of the cotton fiber middle lamella. We are in the process of performing transcriptomics using RNA-Seq technology in parallel with metabolomics (using the services of a commercial firm) for 10 to 28 DPA fiber of each species. By using several high throughput technologies in parallel on the same well-characterized fiber samples, we are establishing a strong basis for identifying differences that may control the higher fiber quality in G. barbadense. We thank Utku Avci, Lissete Betancur, Virginia L. Brown, Z. Jeffrey Chen, Mary V. Duke, Richard E. Glick, Xueying Guan, Michael G. Hahn, Gyoungju Nah, Sivakumar Pattathil, Brian E. Scheffler, and Bir Singh for their contributions to this research project. For research support, we thank Cotton Inc., Cary, NC and the National Science Foundation (Grant Number IOS1025947).