Genome‑wide identification of the cotton FAR gene family reveals GhFAR3 as a positive regulator of Verticillium dahliae resistance
2025
Wenhan Cheng | Siqi Gao | Zhaojie He | Nurimanguli Aini | Zengqiang Zhao | Xianpeng Xiong | Ning Wang | Rui Chen | Keyun Feng
Abstract Although fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) proteins are known to play essential roles in plant growth and development, their involvement in biotic and abiotic stress responses remains insufficiently characterized. In this study, we performed a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of 31 FAR genes across four cotton species (Gossypium arboreum, G. raimondii, G. hirsutum, and G. barbadense). Phylogenetic and synteny analyses classified these FAR genes into three distinct clades, with whole-genome duplication events contributing significantly to their expansion. Promoter cis-element analysis and transcriptome profiling revealed that while most FAR genes were downregulated under abiotic stress, many were notably upregulated in response to hormone treatments and Verticillium dahliae infection. Among them, GhFAR3 showed strong induction upon pathogen challenge. Functional validation using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) demonstrated that silencing GhFAR3 compromised resistance to V. dahliae, correlating with a marked reduction in suberin deposition in root tissues. These findings uncover a previously unrecognized role of FAR-mediated lipid metabolism in plant defense and establish GhFAR3 as a key positive regulator of cotton resistance to V. dahliae through suberin biosynthesis in roots. This study provides novel insights into the integration of lipid biosynthesis and pathogen resistance pathways in cotton.
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