J Integr Plant Biol ›› 2026, Vol. 68 ›› Issue (3): 628-648.DOI: 10.1111/jipb.70097

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  • 收稿日期:2025-07-15 接受日期:2025-10-28 出版日期:2026-03-08 发布日期:2026-03-10

GhMYB44 orchestrates a multi-tiered cascade to regulate secondary cell wall biosynthesis in cotton fibers

Ghulam Hussain1†, Jie Zhang1,2†, Ghulam Qanmber2†, Mengli Yu1, Yujun Li3, Fuguang Li1,2* and Zuoren Yang1,2,4*   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, China

    2. Zhengzhou Research Base, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Bio-breeding and Integrated Utilization, School of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China

    3. Cotton and Sericultural Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha 410125, China

    4. Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing and Germplasm Innovation, Institute of Western Agricultural of CAAS, Changji 831100, China

    †These authors contributed equally to this work.

    *Correspondences: Fuguang Li (aylifug@caas.cn); Zuoren Yang (yangzuoren@caas.cn, Dr. Yang is fully responsible for the distributionof all materials associated with this article)

  • Received:2025-07-15 Accepted:2025-10-28 Online:2026-03-08 Published:2026-03-10
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 32441062), Xinjiang Science and Technology Major Project of China (2024A02002), and the Xinjiang Science and Technological Program (the Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang, China [2022D01E08], the Tian‐Shan Talent Program [2022TSYCCX0087], and the Key Research and Development Program of Xinjiang [2022B02052]). The authors also acknowledge the support of the China Scholarship Council (CSC) for funding G. H.'s PhD research at GSCAAS, Beijing, China.

Abstract: The assembly of functional biological materials requires precise control over the synthesis and deposition of their constituent polymers. In plants, specialized cells gain exceptional strength from their secondary cell walls (SCWs), though the mechanisms ensuring the coordinated production of SCW components remain poorly understood. Using cotton fiber as a model for massive cellulose deposition, we uncover a multi-tiered transcriptional cascade involving the R2R3-MYB transcription factor GhMYB44. We show that GhMYB44 functions as a positive regulator that directly activates the pivotal NAC factor, GhFSN43, which in turn commands key cellulose synthesis genes, establishing a complete regulatory module from an upstream MYB to downstream structural genes. Crucially, we reveal that this entire pathway is potentiated at two distinct nodes through protein–protein interactions: an upstream GhMYB44–GhREV5 complex enhances the initial signal, while a downstream GhFSN43–GhFSN1 complex functions cooperatively to strengthen downstream transcriptional activation. Our findings suggest that GhMYB44 participates in a multi-tiered regulatory module where transcriptional output is enhanced by layered synergistic protein–protein interactions. This work clarifies a key regulatory pathway controlling SCW biosynthesis and offers novel targets for improving cotton fiber quality.

Key words: cellulose biosynthesis, cotton fiber, GhFSN43, GhMYB44, secondary cell wall (SCW), transcription factor (TF)

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