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New wine in old skins: Scopoletin biosynthesis in cotton

Summary

Cotton farmers face significant crop losses from a soil-dwelling fungus called Verticillium dahliae. Scientists discovered that cotton plants can protect themselves by producing a compound called scopoletin, which damages and kills this fungus. By understanding how cotton activates the genes that make scopoletin, researchers may be able to genetically engineer more disease-resistant cotton varieties, providing farmers with a sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides.

Background

Cotton is a major global fiber crop threatened by Verticillium dahliae, a soil-borne fungal pathogen causing vascular wilt disease. Plants defend against fungal infections by synthesizing phytoalexins, specialized metabolites with antimicrobial properties. Scopoletin, a coumarin derivative phytoalexin, has strong antifungal properties and was first described in the late 1800s.

Objective

This review examines a recent study by Gao et al. investigating the role of scopoletin in cotton’s defense response to V. dahliae infection. The study aimed to identify the enzymes involved in scopoletin biosynthesis and determine their contribution to fungal resistance.

Results

GhF6’H1, a 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase homolog, was identified as key to scopoletin biosynthesis. Scopoletin treatment caused morphological damage to fungal mycelium and increased macromolecule leakage. GhF6’H1 knockdown reduced scopoletin accumulation and increased fungal susceptibility, while overexpression increased scopoletin levels and fungal resistance. Scopoletin exhibited positive feedback regulation of its biosynthetic pathway.

Conclusion

The study characterizes GhF6’H1’s role in scopoletin-mediated defense against V. dahliae across multiple plant species. The findings suggest scopoletin exerts positive feedback on its biosynthetic pathway and contribute to understanding transcriptional regulation of specialized metabolite biosynthesis pathways, with potential biotechnological applications for crop improvement.
  • Published in:Plant Physiology,
  • Study Type:Review,
  • Source: PMID: 39365023, DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiae527
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