DELLA-NAC Interactions Mediate GA Signaling to Promote Secondary Cell Wall Formation in Cotton Stem

Yi Wang; Wanting Yu; Lingfang Ran; Zhong Chen; Chuannan Wang; Yang Dou; Yuanyuan Qin; Qingwei Suo; Yaohua Li; Jianyan Zeng; Aimin Liang; Yonglu Dai; Yiping Wu; Xufen Ouyang; Yuehua Xiao

doi:10.3389/fpls.2021.655127

DELLA-NAC Interactions Mediate GA Signaling to Promote Secondary Cell Wall Formation in Cotton Stem

Front Plant Sci. 2021 Jul 9:12:655127. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2021.655127. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Yi Wang¹, Wanting Yu¹, Lingfang Ran¹, Zhong Chen¹, Chuannan Wang¹, Yang Dou¹, Yuanyuan Qin¹, Qingwei Suo¹, Yaohua Li¹, Jianyan Zeng¹, Aimin Liang¹, Yonglu Dai¹, Yiping Wu¹, Xufen Ouyang¹, Yuehua Xiao¹

Affiliation

¹ Chongqing Key Laboratory of Application and Safety Control of Genetically Modified Crops, Biotechnology Research Center, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.

Abstract

Gibberellins (GAs) promote secondary cell wall (SCW) development in plants, but the underlying molecular mechanism is still to be elucidated. Here, we employed a new system, the first internode of cotton, and the virus-induced gene silencing method to address this problem. We found that knocking down major DELLA genes via VIGS phenocopied GA treatment and significantly enhanced SCW formation in the xylem and phloem of cotton stems. Cotton DELLA proteins were found to interact with a wide range of SCW-related NAC proteins, and virus-induced gene silencing of these NAC genes inhibited SCW development with downregulated biosynthesis and deposition of lignin. The findings indicated a framework for the GA regulation of SCW formation; that is, the interactions between DELLA and NAC proteins mediated GA signaling to regulate SCW formation in cotton stems.

Keywords: DELLA proteins; NAC proteins; cotton stem; gibberellin; secondary cell wall formation.