Scientists Enhance Dominant-Negative Effect of the Gl₂ Mutation for Gossypol-free Cottonseeds

A study conducted by researchers from Henan University, the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and Texas Tech University demonstrated the successful engineering of cotton plants to produce gossypol-free seeds. The findings of the study make seed-specific gossypol-free (SSGF) cotton safe for human consumption while maintaining normal fiber yield and other agronomic traits.

Researchers found that the Gl₂ and Gl₃ genes function as regulators within the transcriptional regulatory network governing gossypol gland development. They found that the Gl₂^e mutant, a dominant mutant of Gl₂, induces a glandless phenotype. Guided by this mechanism, the team engineered SSGF cotton by expressing Gl₂^e specifically during seed development to suppress gossypol gland formation.

Multi-year and multi-location field trials showed that the engineered cotton produced gossypol-free seeds without compromising agronomic traits. The researchers said that the engineered cotton can produce completely gossypol-free oil and flour without the need for degossypolization treatment. The findings offer a sustainable way to increase global supplies of safe plant-based protein and oil resources.

For more information, read the research article on Plant Communications.