Transcription Factors in Cotton

Transcription factors (TFs) regulate gene expressions via interacting with regulatory sequences located in the promoter regions, and they are classified into ~60 families based on their DNA-binding domains. The objetives of this study were to to identify and map the TF genes in cultivated tetraploid cotton species (Gossypium hirsutum and G. barbadense) and their ancestral diploid species (G. arboreum and G. raimondii), and to identify and develop single nucleotide polymorphic (SNP) markers for gene and QTL mapping. In this study, several recently sequenced genomes of cotton species were analyzed to identify TF-coding genes for a phylogenetic and comparative structural genomic analysis. SNP markers were further identified, using one of the homologous TF-coding gene families as an example. A genome-wide gene expression study will be performed to reveal their regulations associated with abiotic and biotic stresses, fiber development and male fertility in cotton.