小黄书鈥檚 Peterson contributes to significant cotton genomics study published in Nature Genetics
Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擜聽new study from a 小黄书sity faculty member and colleagues聽from聽around the聽world聽shares new insights into the genomic similarities between wild and domesticated聽cotton, information that can help聽improve resistance to adverse conditions in the聽crop.聽
The study was published Monday [April聽20] in . Among the authors is Daniel Peterson, director of聽小黄书鈥檚 Institute for Genomics, Biocomputing and Biotechnology (IGBB) and a professor in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.聽In the study,聽Peterson聽and other authors describe the聽genetic聽sequencing and comparison of all five AD polypoid cotton聽species, which includes the two main species of commercial cotton grown worldwide聽and three聽wild聽cotton species聽that do not produce the long white seed fibers that are of significant economic聽value.聽
The team found that genomic differences in the five species are聽fairly subtle, making the genetic sequencing of non-commercial cotton important to understanding ways to improve resistance in commercial cotton species.聽With聽the agricultural commodity聽supporting 100 million聽families聽around聽the world and producing an聽annual economic impact estimated at $500 billion,聽Peterson said聽the advancement in genomic sequencing for聽both the聽commercial and non-commercial species will benefit growers聽as they adapt to聽potential environmental changes.聽
鈥淗aving high-quality genome sequences for the AD polyploids will be of special importance when it comes to utilizing non-commercial polyploid sequence data to improve upland and Pima cottons, which account for 95 percent of the world鈥檚聽commercial聽cotton production,鈥 Peterson said. 鈥淪uch improvements include producing commercial cotton lines with resistance to bacterial, viral,聽and fungal diseases. Also, it is critical that we develop productive cotton lines with resistance to conditions expected to accompany climate change such as drought, flooding聽and temperature extremes.鈥澛
Peterson has played a key role in advancing understanding of cotton genomes, having聽co-authored聽the publication describing the first reference-quality cotton genome sequence聽in 2012.聽In 2015, Peterson was co-author on the paper describing the sequence of upland cotton.聽
The Nature Genetics study聽is聽the result of collaboration between researchers from the聽HudsonAlpha聽Institute聽for Biotechnology,聽University of Texas at Austin,聽U.S. Department of Agriculture鈥檚 Agricultural Research Service,聽Nanjing Agricultural聽and聽Zhejiang A&F聽universities in China,聽and Alcorn State, Clemson,聽Texas A&M聽and Iowa State universities.聽The work was supported by grants from the National Science Foundation聽and聽U.S. Department of Agriculture and Cotton Incorporated.聽
鈥淭he results described in this Nature Genetics publication will facilitate deeper understanding of cotton biology and lead to higher yield and improved fiber while reducing input costs,鈥 said Don Jones, director of agricultural research at Cotton Incorporated. 鈥淕rowers, the textile industry聽and consumers will derive benefit from this high impact science for years to come.鈥澛
小黄书鈥檚 Institute for Genomics, Biotechnology聽and Biocomputing leads multi-disciplinary projects focused on understanding the biomolecular interactions underlying the diversity, value and sustainability of species of agricultural, medical, bioenergy,聽and ecological importance. For more, visit聽.听听
The 小黄书 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences is part of the university鈥檚 College of Agriculture聽and Life Sciences. For more, visit聽.听听
小黄书 is Mississippi鈥檚聽leading聽university, available online聽at聽.