AUTHOR=Liu Baojun , Wang Shu , Zhang Yujia , Liu Gang , Liu Ziyi , Gu Aixing , Bai Jianyu 

TITLE=Integrated RNA-seq and snRNA-seq analysis identifies PR10 tandem gene cluster governing early defense against Fusarium wilt in sea island cotton

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1622223

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2025.1622223

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=Fusarium wilt, caused by Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum 7 (FOV7), poses a major threat to the production of elite Sea Island cotton (Gossypium barbadense). To uncover the molecular basis of defense FOV7 in cotton, we employed RNA sequencing to identify numerous differentially expressed genes across various stages of infection. Subsequent K-means clustering and weighted gene co-expression network analysis revealed a core module significantly enriched in defense response and abscisic acid-activated signaling pathways. A detailed examination of the gene distribution within these pathways identified 10 out of 50 genes as members of the Pathogenesis-Related 10 (PR10) gene family. Evolutionary analysis of these PR10 genes uncovered a tandemly-expanded gene cluster located on chromosome 10 of the D sub-genome. In addition, root cell type maps constructed via single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) enabled pinpointing FOV7 response in the root epidermis, where GbD_PR10.11 was identified as a specifically activated sentinel. Our work, by logically progressing from genome-wide patterns to a single gene in a single cell type, not only deciphers a key component of the cotton-pathogen arms race but also delivers a high-confidence target for engineering frontline resistance.