Gene expression in developing fibres of Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was massively altered by domestication.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Understanding the evolutionary genetics of modern crop phenotypes has a dual relevance to evolutionary biology and crop improvement. Modern upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) was developed following thousands of years of artificial selection from a wild form, G. hirsutum var. yucatanense, which bears a shorter, sparser, layer of single-celled, ovular trichomes ('fibre'). In order to gain an insight into the nature of the developmental genetic transformations that accompanied domestication and crop improvement, we studied the transcriptomes of cotton fibres from wild and domesticated accessions over a developmental time course.

Results

Fibre cells were harvested between 2 and 25 days post-anthesis and encompassed the primary and secondary wall synthesis stages.

SUBMITTER: Rapp RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2992495 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature