Relief of GbDEAH12<sup>G</sup> repression on the GbNAC072<sup>C</sup>-GbHOX3 axis improves lint percentage in Gossypium barbadense.
basic_science · Level V
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 42285947.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-026-74024-w.
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Abstract
Improving lint percentage (LP) is a key breeding target for Sea Island cotton (Gossypium barbadense), yet its genetic basis remains poorly understood. Here, we identify GbNAC072<sup>C</sup> as a positive regulator of LP that promotes fiber cell protrusions by directly activating the transcription of GbHOX3. We find that GbNAC072<sup>C</sup> is inhibited by GbDEAH12<sup>G</sup>, and crucially, the strength of this interaction is haplotype-dependent. The GbDEAH12<sup>G</sup> protein binds GbNAC072<sup>C</sup> with higher affinity than the GbDEAH12<sup>C</sup> variant, leading to stronger suppression of GbHOX3 activation and consequently lower LP. This explains why the GbDEAH12<sup>C</sup>-GbNAC072<sup>C</sup> allele combination gives improved LP. Our work elucidates how haplotype-specific protein interactions modulate a key transcriptional cascade and proposes a disinhibition strategy for breaking yield limits in Sea Island cotton breeding.