棉花子叶色素腺体延缓形成的分子调控机理研究

色素腺体是棉花及其近缘植物所特有的性状，参与植株的病虫害防御机制，但其主要内含物棉酚对人类有毒性。因此，棉籽由于色素腺体的存在，其富含的高品质油分和蛋白质遭到严重浪费，综合利用受到巨大限制。而比克氏棉子叶色素腺体延缓形成性状既能使植株有色素腺体，又能确保种子无色素腺体，但该性状分子调控机理不明确。前期研究中，解析了比克氏棉色素腺体延缓形成的过程；完成了比克氏棉基因组的测序、组装和注释；并通过比较转录组学鉴定了色素腺体延缓形成相关的候选基因。本项目拟以比克氏棉为材料，采用比较基因组学和转录组学分析，结合病毒诱导基因沉默（VIGS）的方法鉴定子叶色素腺体延缓形成的调控基因；通过转基因手段进行基因功能验证；利用转录调控分析、酵母双杂、GST融合蛋白沉降和双分子荧光互补等技术揭示子叶色素腺体延缓形成的分子调控机理，为植株有色素腺体、种子无色素腺体的新型低酚棉育种提供理论基础。

The pigment gland is a unique character of cotton and its relative plants, which is involved in the defense mechanism of plant disease and pests, but its main content gossypol is toxic to human beings. Therefore, due to the presence of pigment glands, the high contents of good quality oil and protein in cottonseeds are seriously wasted, and the comprehensive utilization of cottonseeds is greatly limited. Trait of delayed pigment gland morphogenesis in cotyledon of G. bickii can ensure that the plant is glanded and cottonseeds are glandless. However, its molecular regulation mechanism is unclear. In previous research, the process of pigment gland morphogenesis in G. bickii was revealed. The genome of G. bickii was sequenced and assembled, and the gene annotation was completed. Besides, candidate genes related to delayed pigment gland morphogenesis were identified by comparative transcriptomics analysis. Here, we propose to use the G. bickii as material to excavate the genes regulating the trait of delayed pigment gland morphogenesis in cotyledon through comparative genomics and transcriptomics analysis and Virus Induced Gene Silencing (VIGS) technique. Transgenic technology will be used to verify the gene function. And the yeast two-hybrid, GST pull down, and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays will be employed to reveal the molecular regulatory mechanism of delayed pigment gland morphogenesis in cotyledon, which would provide the theoretical basis for new-type low gossypol cotton breeding with glanded plant and glandless cottonseeds.