A Single-Nucleotide Mutation in a GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR-LIKE Gene Confers Resistance to Fusarium Wilt in Gossypium hirsutum

Fusarium wilt (FW) disease of cotton, caused by the fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum (Fov), causes severe losses in cotton production worldwide. Though significant advancements have been made in development of FW-resistant Upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) in resistance screening programs, the precise resistance genes and the corresponding molecular mechanisms for resistance to Fov remain unclear. Herein it is reported that Fov7, a gene unlike canonical plant disease-resistance (R) genes, putatively encoding a GLUTAMATE RECEPTOR-LIKE (GLR) protein, confers resistance to Fov race 7 in Upland cotton. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (C/A) in GhGLR4.8, resulting in an amino acid change (L/I), is associated with Fov resistance. A PCR-based DNA marker (GhGLR4.8(SNP(A/C))) is developed and shown to cosegregate with the Fov resistance. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of Fov7 results in cotton lines extremely susceptible to Fov race 7 with a loss of the ability to induce calcium influx in response to total secreted proteins (SEPs) of Fov. Furthermore, coinfiltration of SEPs with GhGLR4.8(A) results in a hypersensitive response. This first report of a GLR-encoding gene that functions as an R gene provides a new insight into plant-pathogen interactions and a new handle to develop cotton cultivars with resistance to Fov race 7.

Automated summary

This study reports a novel GLR-encoding gene, Fov7, which confers resistance to Fov race 7 in Upland cotton. A single nucleotide polymorphism in GhGLR4.8 is associated with Fov resistance, and a PCR-based DNA marker has been developed. Knockout of Fov7 using CRISPR/Cas9 technology results in cotton lines extremely susceptible to Fov race 7.