The domestication of plants from their wild ancestors involved many changes in form and structure. The underlying genetic basis of these changes is not well-understood in most cases. Cotton underwent domestication roughly 5,000 years ago, leading to greatly improved fiber properties and enhanced yield. It is not known what parts of the cotton plant's genome changed during this process. In cotton, similar transitions occurred in four separate species on two different continents. To shed light on the nature of the genetic changes involved in domestication, two avenues will be explored. First, equivalent fiber developmental stages from wild and domesticated plants will be compared to discover altered patterns of gene expression. Second, DNA from developing fibers will be analyzed to determine if the number of genes changes during cotton fiber development.
The experiments will provide data that will facilitate an understanding of the genetic changes necessary for the development of the long, strong, high-quality fiber that characterizes modern cotton crops. This information will provide new avenues of research for plant breeders and others interested in enhancing commercial cotton production and the textile industry.
