Genetic dissection of resistance to Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt based on vascular discoloration in diploid Asiatic cotton, Gossypium arboreum

Authors: ABDELRAHEEM, ABDELRAHEEM - Oak Ridge Institute For Science And Education (ORISE); ZHU, YI - University Of New Mexico; Feng, Chunda; Stetina, Salliana; Whitelock, Derek; WHEELER, TERRY - Texas A&M University; Zeng, Linghe; ZHANG, JINFA - University Of New Mexico

Submitted to: Euphytica
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/29/2025
Publication Date: 7/25/2025
Citation: Abdelraheem, A., Zhu, Y., Feng, C., Stetina, S.R., Whitelock, D.P., Wheeler, T., Zeng, L., Zhang, J. 2025. Genetic dissection of resistance to Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt based on vascular discoloration in diploid Asiatic cotton, Gossypium arboreum. Euphytica. 221:129. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-025-03578-5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-025-03578-5

Interpretive Summary: Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt are two common diseases affecting cotton yield and fiber quality. Development of disease resistant cotton cultivars may be an effective approach to minimize the disease influence. Understanding the genetic basis of disease resistance would be critical for developing resistant cultivars. In this research, we planted 245 Asiatic cotton lines in the greenhouse. These lines were inoculated with Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt pathogens to determine their levels of resistance. Results showed that these Asiatic lines were moderately resistant to Fusarium wilt and Verticillium wilt disease. Plants were assessed by molecular markers for the genetic basis of disease resistance. Five molecular markers were identified associated with resistance to both pathogens. These Asiatic cotton lines can be used to transfer resistance genes into Upland cotton and the molecular markers identified can be used to aid the gene transfer. Cotton breeders working to improve yield and fiber quality will be able to use the molecular markers to more efficiently select the best lines from crosses with these newly identified resistance sources, and cotton growers will ultimately benefit from the improved varieties that are developed.

Technical Abstract: Tetraploid Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum, AADD) is the most important fiber crop for the textile industry in the world. Cotton production faces a range of biotic and abiotic stresses devastating yield and fiber quality including vascular Fusarium wilt (FW) and Verticillium wilt (VW) diseases, caused by the soil-borne pathogens Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (FOV) and Verticillium dahliae, respectively. Growing resistant cultivars is the most effective and economic method managing the diseases. Genetic studies of resistance to the two diseases have been predominantly conducted based on foliar symptoms. However, there was no report on the genetic basis of resistance to the diseases based on vascular discoloration (VD) in cultivated diploid A genome cotton. In this greenhouse study, root VD (RVD), stem VD (SVD), and disease incidence (DI) based on RVD in three replicated tests for FOV4 and one replicated test for VW in an association panel of 245 G. arboreum (A2A2) accessions were assessed to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with wilt resistance. Results showed that the diploid Asiatic accessions exhibited moderate resistance to both wilt diseases, providing a valuable genetic resource for disease resistance. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) revealed 54 and 14 SNPs significantly associated with FOV4 and VW resistance, respectively. Notably, five SNPs exhibited pleiotropic effects, contributing to resistance against both pathogens and significantly lowering DI. Forty-three among these identified SNPs were novel, while others were previously reported in different genetic background. These findings highlight the importance of leveraging diploid species as a genetic resource and the subsequent introduction of these resistance alleles into elite breeding lines.