The Peptide-Encoding <i>CLE25</i> Gene Modulates Drought Response in Cotton

CLAVATA3 (CLV3)/endosperm surrounding region (CLE) peptides have been reportedly involved in plant growth and development, as well as responses to abiotic stresses. However, the stress resilience of most <i>CLE</i> genes in cotton remains largely unknown. Here, induced expression pattern...

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Main Authors: Dayong Zhang, Qingfeng Zhu, Pu Qin, Lu Yu, Weixi Li, Hao Sun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Agriculture
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/15/11/1226
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Summary:CLAVATA3 (CLV3)/endosperm surrounding region (CLE) peptides have been reportedly involved in plant growth and development, as well as responses to abiotic stresses. However, the stress resilience of most <i>CLE</i> genes in cotton remains largely unknown. Here, induced expression pattern analysis showed that <i>GhCLE25</i> was obviously responsive to osmotic and salt treatments, indicating that <i>GhCLE25</i> was involved in abiotic stress tolerance. Furthermore, silencing <i>GhCLE25</i> or the exogenous application of CLE25p effectively led to reduced and enhanced drought tolerance, respectively, as indicated by the activities of the plants’ POD, SOD, CAT, and MDA contents, as well as their height and fresh weight. We found that the knockdown of <i>GhCLE25</i> promoted seedling growth and development, with a higher plant height and fresh weight in <i>GhCLE25</i>-silenced plants in comparison to control plants. In addition, a comparative transcriptome analysis of TRV:00 versus TRV:<i>GhCLE25</i> and Mock versus CLE25p revealed that the CLE25-mediated signaling pathway is mainly involved in defense response and phytohormone signaling. Collectively, these findings indicate diverse roles of CLE25 in regulating plant growth and response to environmental stimuli and highlight the potential utilization of CLE25 to improve drought stress in modern agriculture via CLE25p spraying.
ISSN:2077-0472