Cotton CC-NBS-LRR Gene Confers Resistance to Verticillium Wilt Across Different Species.

Verticillium wilt (VW) is a destructive disease in cotton caused by and has a significant impact on yield and quality. In the absence of safe and effective chemical control, VW is difficult to manage. Thus, at present, developing resistant varieties is the most economical and effective method of controlling Verticillium wilt of cotton. The CC-NBS-LRR (CNL) gene family is an important class of plant genes involved in disease resistance. This study identified 141 in genome, with 37.5% (53 genes) enriched in 12 gene clusters (GC01-GC12) based on gene distribution in the chromosomes. Especially, seven from two largest clusters (GC11 and GC12) were significantly upregulated in the resistant cultivar (Hai No. 7124) and the susceptible (Giza No. 57). Virus-induced gene silencing of in , one typical gene in the gene cluster 12 (GC12), significantly altered the response to VW, compromising plant resistance to . In contrast, overexpression significantly increased the resistance to VW in the wild-type . Based on our research findings presented here, we conclude that promotes resistance to VW by activating the salicylic acid (SA)-dependent defense response pathway resulting in strong accumulation of reactive oxygen species and upregulation of pathogenesis-related (PR) genes. In conclusion, our study resulted in the discovery of a new resistance gene in cotton, , that confers resistance to VW across different hosts.