Recent Advances in Cotton Genomics

Abstract

Genome research promises to promote continued and enhanced plant genetic improvement. As a world's leading crop and a model system for studies of many biological processes, genomics research of cottons has advanced rapidly in the past few years. This article presents a comprehensive review on the recent advances of cotton genomics research. The reviewed areas include DNA markers, genetic maps, mapped genes and QTLs, ESTs, microarrays, gene expression profiling, BAC and BIBAC libraries, physical mapping, genome sequencing, and applications of genomic tools in cotton breeding. Analysis of the current status of each of the genome research areas suggests that the areas of physical mapping, QTL fine mapping, genome sequencing, nonfiber and nonovule EST development, gene expression profiling, and association studies between gene expression and fiber trait performance should be emphasized currently and in near future to accelerate utilization of the genomics research achievements for enhancing cotton genetic improvement.

Genome sequence of the cultivated cotton Gossypium arboreum

“…The current descendants of the two diploid cotton species that hybridized to create all cultivated allopolyploid cotton species, G. arboreum (A 2 ) and G. raimondii (D 5 ), exhibit a twofold difference in genome size 4,26 . Molecular phylogenetic analyses 27 suggested a divergence time for G. arboreum and G. raimondii of 2-13 million years ago, with their common ancestor having diverged from T. cacao 18-58 million years ago (Fig.…”

Genetic Mapping in Cotton

“…Conventional breeding alone cannot achieve the genetic gain without supplementing it with modern genomic tools. Fortunately, cotton genomic research has gained momentum after the introduction of GM cotton [104]. The other approaches including marker-assisted selection (MAS) can accelerate the breeding progress.…”

Introductory Chapter: Introduction to Cotton Research Highlights

“…Cotton research community has extensively developed cotton genetic mapping population re-sources, and characterized large sets of DNA-based molecular markers such as simple sequence repeats (SSRs) and other restriction site-derived polymorphisms [20]. Researchers have widely and successfully applied molecular marker technology [21] to create densely covered genetic linkage maps of cotton genome(s) using various mapping populations.…”

“…Researchers have widely and successfully applied molecular marker technology [21] to create densely covered genetic linkage maps of cotton genome(s) using various mapping populations. Scientists also succeeded to characterize cotton germplasm resources using both traditional quantitative trait loci (QTL) and modern linkage disequilibrium (LD)-based association mapping strategies [20][21][22][23]. Furthermore, cotton researchers have successfully developed a SNP marker system, and with the emergence and application of highthroughput next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, a large number of SNPs were developed and made available for cotton research and breeding [24][25][26][27].…”

“…This has not only accelerated the development of superior cotton cultivars with reduced cost and time, but it also helped in widening the "conventionally-narrow" genetic base of novel cultivars via introducing 'yet-unexploited' genetic diversities from cotton germplasm resources [8,14,[20][21][22][23]28]. Further, molecular marker technology has helped to establish and genetically differentiate 13 homeologous chromosome pairs accelerating cotton cytogenetics and genetics studies [29].…”