Photosynthetica 2025, 63(3):234-245 | DOI: 10.32615/ps.2025.018

Photosynthetic characteristics of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) recessive genic male sterile line YA-1 with virescent trait

N. YANG1, X.X. LIU1, X.P. ZHANG2, H.Q. DENG3, X.L. SHEN4, C.M. TANG1
1 State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Agronomy, Nanjing Agricultural University, 210095 Nanjing, China
2 Hunan Institute of Cotton Science, 410326 Changde, China
3 Taicang Cotton Breeding Center, 215488 Suzhou, China
4 Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 210000 Nanjing, China

The upland cotton strain YA-1 can be used for hybrid seed production and recurrent selection. However, the effect of YA-1 virescent phenotype on photosynthetic traits remains unclear. This study demonstrated that the chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, light-saturation point, light-compensation point, and PSⅡ reaction center activities are lower than those of green leaves of wide type. In contrast, light-energy utilization efficiencies, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, concentrations of Rubisco and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, photosynthetic performance indices, and energy distribution parameters of the yellowish leaves of YA-1 are higher than those of wild type green leaves. The lower expression of GhHemL, GhSGRL, and GhCAO genes impairs chlorophyll biosynthesis, while the downregulation of GhZEP and GhNCED disrupts carotenoid biosynthesis, altering the pigment composition in yellowish leaves. The yellowish phenotype of YA-1 had significant positive effects on photosynthetic efficiency. This finding provides a valuable basis for optimizing the use of YA-1 in cotton breeding programs.

Additional key words: heterosis; male sterility; photosynthesis; upland cotton; virescent mutant.

Received: February 13, 2025; Revised: April 22, 2025; Accepted: May 30, 2025; Prepublished online: July 16, 2025; Published: October 15, 2025  Show citation

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YANG, N., LIU, X.X., ZHANG, X.P., DENG, H.Q., SHEN, X.L., & TANG, C.M. (2025). Photosynthetic characteristics of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) recessive genic male sterile line YA-1 with virescent trait. Photosynthetica, 63(3), 234-245. doi: 10.32615/ps.2025.018
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