ARS | Publication request: Toward identification of complete set of aquaporin gene family in cotton - A possible way to improve cotton production

Submitted to: National Cotton Council Beltwide Cotton Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: January 19, 2010
Publication Date: January 19, 2010
Citation: Park, W., Scheffler, B.E., Bauer, P.J., Campbell, B.T. 2010. Toward identification of complete set of aquaporin gene family in cotton - A possible way to improve cotton production. p. 815. In: Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conference, January 4-7, 2010, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Technical Abstract: Cotton is the most important natural-fiber producing crop and is a significant global agricultural commodity. Because of the significance of water to the quantity and quality of cotton production, efforts to decrease the amount of water applied and improve cotton water use efficiency are being extensively studied. In this research, our goal was to identify the genes of the aquaporin proteins as a first step in research to determine if they are a potential target for manipulating water use efficiency. Aquaporin proteins are present across plant tissues where they function as membrane transport channels for water and other small molecules. The plant aquaporins consist of 5 subfamilies including plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIP), tonoplast intrinsic proteins (TIP), NOD26-like intrinsic proteins (NIP), small basic intrinsic proteins (SIP), and the recently discovered X intrinsic protein (XIP). In order to identify a complete set of aquaporin genes in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), in silico and molecular cloning efforts and subsequent sequence analyses were performed. Here we report the identification of 71 cotton aquaporin genes. The genes identified consist of 28 and 23 highly homologous members in PIP and TIP subfamilies respectively. The total of aquaporin genes also includes 12 NIP subfamily members, 7 SIP members, and 1 XIP subfamily member. To explore the physiological roles of these aquaporin genes in cotton, semi-quantitative gene expression analysis was performed.