Abstract
Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and sea-island cotton (Gossypium barbadense) are the two most widely cultivated cotton species, differing in their fiber quality and environmental adaptability. Small secreted peptides (SSPs) are key signaling molecules that regulate plant development and stress responses, yet their genome-wide diversity and functional roles in cotton remain largely uncharacterized. Here, leveraging high-quality genome assemblies, we systematically identified 2629 and 2331 SSPs in G. hirsutum and G. barbadense, respectively. Transcriptomic analyses revealed distinct species SSP expression dynamics: Expressed SSPs number declined during fiber and ovule development in G. hirsutum, but increased in G. barbadense, implicating SSPs in the superior fiber traits of the latter. Under abiotic stress, G. hirsutum displayed a predominantly downregulated SSPs profile, whereas G. barbadense maintained a more balanced transcriptional response, suggesting divergent stress adaptation strategies. Among the differentially expressed SSPs, we identified and characterized GDRP (Gossypium Drought and Salt Resistance Peptide), a novel peptide strongly induced by both drought and salt stress. Exogenous application of GDRP significantly enhanced stress tolerance by reducing oxidative damage, improving water-use efficiency, and promoting stomatal closure. VIGS (Virus-Induced Gene Silencing) experiments have demonstrated that GhGDRP6 acts as a positive regulatory factor for drought tolerance. Mechanistically, GDRP activated abscisic acid (ABA) signaling by upregulating GhPYL4 and GhNACs, and repressing GhPP2Cs and GhPIP2;7, key negative regulators of ABA-mediated drought responses. Furthermore, GDRP induced the phosphorylation of GhMPK3 and GhMPK6, two central kinases in the MAPK signaling cascade. Virus-induced gene silencing of GhMPK3 or GhMPK6 abolished GDRP-mediated drought tolerance, confirming a MAPK3/6-dependent mechanism. Collectively, this study provides the first genome-wide SSP atlas in cotton and uncovers GDRP as a previously uncharacterized peptide that modulates ABA and MAPK signaling to enhance abiotic stress resilience. These findings lay the foundation for peptide-based crop improvement strategies targeting stress tolerance and yield stability in cotton.
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Claims 17
Claim · model-written summary
G. hirsutum has 2629 small secreted peptides identified genome-wide.
- Taxon
- G. hirsutum
Gossypium hirsutume0 - Outcome
- SSPse0
- Value
- 2629e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“we systematically identified 2629 and 2331 SSPs in G. hirsutum and G. barbadense”
t0“cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
G. barbadense has 2331 small secreted peptides identified genome-wide.
- Taxon
- G. barbadense
.jpg?width=60)
Gossypium barbadensee0 - Outcome
- SSPse0
- Value
- 2331e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e0“we systematically identified 2629 and 2331 SSPs in G. hirsutum and G. barbadense”
t0“cotton”
Claim · model-written summary
Expressed SSP number declined during fiber and ovule development in G. hirsutum.
- Taxon
- G. hirsutumGossypium hirsutume1
- Organ / stage
- fiber and ovule developmente1
- Outcome
- Expressed SSPs numbere1
- Direction
- declinede1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Expressed SSPs number declined during fiber and ovule development in G. hirsutum, but increased in G. barbadense”
Claim · model-written summary
Expressed SSP number increased during fiber and ovule development in G. barbadense.
- Taxon
- G. barbadenseGossypium barbadensee1
- Organ / stage
- fiber and ovule developmente1
- Outcome
- Expressed SSPs numbere1
- Direction
- increasede1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Expressed SSPs number declined during fiber and ovule development in G. hirsutum, but increased in G. barbadense”
Claim · model-written summary
Under abiotic stress, G. hirsutum showed a predominantly downregulated SSP profile.
- Taxon
- G. hirsutumGossypium hirsutume2
- Treatment
- abiotic stresse2
- Outcome
- SSPs profilee2
- Direction
- downregulatede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“Under abiotic stress, G. hirsutum displayed a predominantly downregulated SSPs profile, whereas G. barbadense maintained a more balanced transcriptional response”
Claim · model-written summary
Under abiotic stress, G. barbadense maintained a more balanced transcriptional response.
- Taxon
- G. barbadenseGossypium barbadensee2
- Treatment
- abiotic stresse2
- Outcome
- transcriptional responsee2
- Qualifier
- more balancede2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“Under abiotic stress, G. hirsutum displayed a predominantly downregulated SSPs profile, whereas G. barbadense maintained a more balanced transcriptional response”
Claim · model-written summary
GDRP, a novel peptide, is strongly induced by drought and salt stress.
GossypiumNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e3“we identified and characterized GDRP (Gossypium Drought and Salt Resistance Peptide), a novel peptide strongly induced by both drought and salt stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous GDRP reduced oxidative damage in cotton.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- Exogenous application of GDRPe4
- Outcome
- oxidative damagee4
- Direction
- reducinge4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cotton”
e4“Exogenous application of GDRP significantly enhanced stress tolerance by reducing oxidative damage, improving water-use efficiency, and promoting stomatal closure”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous GDRP improved water-use efficiency in cotton.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- Exogenous application of GDRPe4
- Outcome
- water-use efficiencye4
- Direction
- improvinge4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cotton”
e4“Exogenous application of GDRP significantly enhanced stress tolerance by reducing oxidative damage, improving water-use efficiency, and promoting stomatal closure”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous GDRP promoted stomatal closure in cotton.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- Exogenous application of GDRPe4
- Outcome
- stomatal closuree4
- Direction
- promotinge4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cotton”
e4“Exogenous application of GDRP significantly enhanced stress tolerance by reducing oxidative damage, improving water-use efficiency, and promoting stomatal closure”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous GDRP significantly enhanced stress tolerance in cotton.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- Exogenous application of GDRPe4
- Outcome
- stress tolerancee4
- Direction
- significantly enhancede4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cotton”
e4“Exogenous application of GDRP significantly enhanced stress tolerance by reducing oxidative damage, improving water-use efficiency, and promoting stomatal closure”
Claim · model-written summary
GhGDRP6 acts as a positive regulatory factor for drought tolerance in cotton, shown by VIGS.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- VIGSe5
- Gene
- GhGDRP6e5
- Outcome
- drought tolerancee5
- Direction
- positivee5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cotton”
e5“VIGS (Virus-Induced Gene Silencing) experiments have demonstrated that GhGDRP6 acts as a positive regulatory factor for drought tolerance”
Claim · model-written summary
GDRP activates ABA signaling in cotton by upregulating GhPYL4 and GhNACs and repressing GhPP2Cs and GhPIP2;7.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- GDRPe6
- Gene
- GhPYL4e6
- Outcome
- abscisic acid (ABA) signalinge6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cotton”
e6“GDRP activated abscisic acid (ABA) signaling by upregulating GhPYL4 and GhNACs, and repressing GhPP2Cs and GhPIP2;7, key negative regulators of ABA-mediated drought responses”
Claim · model-written summary
GDRP upregulates GhPYL4 and GhNACs in cotton.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- GDRPe6
- Gene
- GhPYL4e6
- Outcome
- GhPYL4 and GhNACse6
- Direction
- upregulatinge6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cotton”
e6“GDRP activated abscisic acid (ABA) signaling by upregulating GhPYL4 and GhNACs, and repressing GhPP2Cs and GhPIP2;7, key negative regulators of ABA-mediated drought responses”
Claim · model-written summary
GDRP represses GhPP2Cs and GhPIP2;7 in cotton.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- GDRPe6
- Gene
- GhPP2Cse6
- Outcome
- GhPP2Cs and GhPIP2;7e6
- Direction
- repressinge6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cotton”
e6“GDRP activated abscisic acid (ABA) signaling by upregulating GhPYL4 and GhNACs, and repressing GhPP2Cs and GhPIP2;7, key negative regulators of ABA-mediated drought responses”
Claim · model-written summary
GDRP induced phosphorylation of GhMPK3 and GhMPK6 in cotton.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- GDRPe7
- Gene
- GhMPK3e7
- Outcome
- phosphorylation of GhMPK3 and GhMPK6e7
- Direction
- inducede7
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cotton”
e7“Furthermore, GDRP induced the phosphorylation of GhMPK3 and GhMPK6, two central kinases in the MAPK signaling cascade”
Claim · model-written summary
Virus-induced silencing of GhMPK3 or GhMPK6 abolished GDRP-mediated drought tolerance in cotton.
- Taxon
- cottonGossypium hirsutumt0
- Treatment
- Virus-induced gene silencing of GhMPK3 or GhMPK6e0
- Gene
- GhMPK3 or GhMPK6e0
- Outcome
- GDRP-mediated drought tolerancee0
- Direction
- abolishede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“cotton”
e0“Virus-induced gene silencing of GhMPK3 or GhMPK6 abolished GDRP-mediated drought tolerance, confirming a MAPK3/6-dependent mechanism”
The same questions in other papers
loss of function · tolerance: abiotic · Gossypium hirsutum (cotton)Positive and negative results
16 papers in the same direction as this paper · 40 in the opposite direction
- negative
- negative
- negative
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See all 57 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.