Genome-Wide Study of NOT2_3_5 Protein Subfamily in Cotton and Their Necessity in Resistance to <i>Verticillium wilt</i>

• Main Authors: Pei Zhao, Tengfei Qin, Wei Chen, Xiaohui Sang, Yunlei Zhao, Hongmei Wang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: NOT2_3_5 domain protein; <i>Verticillium wilt</i>; cotton
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/11/5634

The Negative on TATA-less (NOT) 2_3_5 domain proteins play key roles in mRNA metabolism and transcription regulation, but few comprehensive studies have focused on this protein family in plants. In our study, a total of 30 <i>NOT2_3_5</i> genes were identified in four cotton genomes: <i>Gossypium. arboretum</i>, <i>G. raimondii</i>, <i>G. hirsutum</i> and <i>G. barbadense.</i> Phylogenetic analysis showed that all the NOT2_3_5 domain proteins were divided into two classes. The <i>NOT2_3_5</i> genes were expanded frequently, and segmental duplication had significant effects in their expansion process. The <i>cis</i>-regulatory elements analysis of <i>NOT2_3_5</i> promoter regions indicated that NOT2_3_5 domain proteins might participate in plant growth and development processes and responds to exogenous stimuli. Expression patterns demonstrated that all of the <i>GhNOT2_3_5</i> genes were expressed in the majority of tissues and fiber development stages, and that these genes were induced by multiple stresses. Quantitative real-time PCR showed that <i>GbNOT2_3_5</i> genes were up-regulated in response to verticillium wilt and the silencing of <i>GbNOT2_3_5-3/8</i> and <i>GbNOT2_3_5-4/9</i> led to more susceptibility to verticillium wilt than controls. Identification and analysis of the NOT2_3_5 protein family will be beneficial for further research on their biological functions.