Research Projects

Cotton fiber is not only a valuable resource for the textile industries but also an excellent single-cell model to study cell differentiation and development. Cotton is one of the most economically important crops in the world. India stands first in the area and second in production after China. India is the second largest exporter country after the USA. Cotton fibers are the single cell-trichomes that initiate from the epidermis of the outer integument of the ovules at or just before the anthesis. Its development encompasses four overlapping but distinct stages, viz. initiation, elongation, secondary cell wall biosynthesis, and maturation. Strigolactone (SL) is a newly emerged plant hormone regulating cytoskeleton-mediated developmental events in roots, such as lateral root formation and elongation of root hairs and hypocotyls. It regulates plant architecture and stimulates many other developmental and environmental cues. The recent study by Tian et al., 2022 on GA-SLs crosstalk and our preliminary studies indirectly showed that SLs affect cotton fiber development. Strigolactones (SLs) biosynthesis and signaling genes are reported in several plant species. However, they are not identified in cotton. Here, we will genome-wide identify biosynthetic and signaling SLs members in the cotton species; Gossypium hirsutum, G. raimondii, G. barbadense, and G. arboreum. The phylogeny and evolutionary relationship with other members will be explored using the in-silico approach. The expression of identified SLs members will be evaluated in different cotton fiber developmental stages using available transcriptome databases and qRT-PCR. In-vitro-cultured cotton ovules separately treated with synthetic SLs Analog, GR24, and SL-biosynthesis inhibitor; TIS108 will be used to examine the effect on fiber development after stimulating and inhibiting the SLs at different steps of their progression. The mechanistic details of strigolactone's role in cotton fiber development will be explored. Altered ROS homeostasis, hormonal flux, ultra-structure, and marker genes expression will be evaluated. Through RNA-Seq, differentially expressed genes (DEGs), pathways, gene networks, and interactomes will be analyzed in treated vs. untreated cultured ovules. This project aims to establish the role of strigolactones (SLs) in cotton fiber development and the mechanism behind.