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Volume 27
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10.3390/ijms27010400
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Analysis of Photosynthetic Parameters, Yield, and Quality Correlations in Herbicide-Tolerant Transgenic Hybrid Cotton

by
Ping He
1,†,
Meiqi Liu
1,†,
Haoyu Jiang
1,
Zexing Zhang
2,
Zitang Bian
1,
Yongqiang Liu
1,
Honglei Ma
1,
Jianbo Zhu
1,
Tianqi Jiao
1,* and
Ruina Liu
1,*
1
College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
2
Crop Research Institute, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(1), 400; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010400 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 27 November 2025 / Revised: 22 December 2025 / Accepted: 23 December 2025 / Published: 30 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue 25th Anniversary of IJMS: Updates and Advances in Molecular Biology)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Weed stress remains a major limiting factor in cotton production, and glyphosate-tolerant varieties provide an effective solution for chemical weed control. However, achieving a balance between herbicide tolerance and agronomic physiological traits remains challenging. In this study, three hybrid combinations were generated by crossing a glyphosate-tolerant cotton line (GGK2) with conventional elite lines and were comprehensively evaluated. Gene expression analysis revealed that the classical detoxification gene GAT was significantly downregulated in all hybrid combinations, whereas the expression of GR79-EPSPS, a gene associated with glutathione metabolism and oxidative stress response, was markedly elevated, particularly in the GGK2 × Y4 combination. This differential expression pattern suggests that GR79-EPSPS may compensate for the reduced function of GAT by conferring oxidative protection under herbicide stress. Physiological determination indicated that hybrid combinations with enhanced GR79-EPSPS expression, especially GGK2 × Y5, exhibited superior photosynthetic pigment composition and photosystem II (PSII) efficiency, validating the role of GR79-EPSPS in maintaining photosynthetic stability. Agronomic trait assessment demonstrated that GGK2 × Y4 achieved significant biomass accumulation and yield improvement through heterosis, although fiber quality improvement was limited. This study effectively enhanced the herbicide resistance of conventional cotton through crossbreeding and revealed that the interaction between GR79-EPSPS and GAT can improve cotton tolerance to herbicides, thereby providing a breeding strategy for developing cotton varieties with both herbicide tolerance and superior agronomic traits.
Keywords: Gossypium hirsutum; GAT gene; GR79-EPSPS gene; glyphosate resistance; heterosis; gene expression regulation; photosynthetic performance; oxidative stress Gossypium hirsutum; GAT gene; GR79-EPSPS gene; glyphosate resistance; heterosis; gene expression regulation; photosynthetic performance; oxidative stress

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

He, P.; Liu, M.; Jiang, H.; Zhang, Z.; Bian, Z.; Liu, Y.; Ma, H.; Zhu, J.; Jiao, T.; Liu, R. Analysis of Photosynthetic Parameters, Yield, and Quality Correlations in Herbicide-Tolerant Transgenic Hybrid Cotton. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27, 400. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010400

AMA Style

He P, Liu M, Jiang H, Zhang Z, Bian Z, Liu Y, Ma H, Zhu J, Jiao T, Liu R. Analysis of Photosynthetic Parameters, Yield, and Quality Correlations in Herbicide-Tolerant Transgenic Hybrid Cotton. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2026; 27(1):400. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010400

Chicago/Turabian Style

He, Ping, Meiqi Liu, Haoyu Jiang, Zexing Zhang, Zitang Bian, Yongqiang Liu, Honglei Ma, Jianbo Zhu, Tianqi Jiao, and Ruina Liu. 2026. "Analysis of Photosynthetic Parameters, Yield, and Quality Correlations in Herbicide-Tolerant Transgenic Hybrid Cotton" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 27, no. 1: 400. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010400

APA Style

He, P., Liu, M., Jiang, H., Zhang, Z., Bian, Z., Liu, Y., Ma, H., Zhu, J., Jiao, T., & Liu, R. (2026). Analysis of Photosynthetic Parameters, Yield, and Quality Correlations in Herbicide-Tolerant Transgenic Hybrid Cotton. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(1), 400. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27010400

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