Phylogenetic Relationships of Tetraploid Cotton Species (Gossypium L.) and Their Genetic Potential for Breeding Programs

Phylogenetic Relationships of Tetraploid Cotton Species (Gossypium L.) and Their Genetic Potential for Breeding Programs | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Phylogenetic Relationships of Tetraploid Cotton Species (Gossypium L.) and Their Genetic Potential for Breeding Programs Feruza U. Rafieva, Ozod S. Turaev, Abdulqahhor Kh. Toshpulatov, and 11 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6959594/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 4 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background Gossypium mustelinum Miers ex Watt is a rare, wild tetraploid cotton species native to northeastern Brazil, yet its phylogenetic relationships with cultivated cottons ( G. hirsutum and G. barbadense ) and its genetic potential for breeding remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the cross-compatibility and molecular phylogenetic relationships between G. mustelinum and several accessions of G. hirsutum , G. barbadense , and G. darwinii to assess its utility as a genetic resource for cotton improvement. Results Interspecific hybridizations resulted in 22 distinct F 1 combinations, showing varied cross-compatibility and reciprocal differences suggesting cytoplasmic or unilateral incompatibility. Notably, the G. hirsutum subsp. glabrum var. marie-galante × G. mustelinum cross exhibited the highest complete seed set (87.2%), despite a low boll set. F 1 and F 2 hybrids demonstrated significant potential for improved fiber traits. For instance, the 'Beshqahramon' variety ( G. hirsutum ) × G. mustelinum F 1 hybrid showed a high positive heterosis for fiber length (hp = 33.00), and its F 2 population had a mean fiber length of 36.2 mm with 0.62 heritability. Similarly, the 'Beshqahramon' variety × G. mustelinum F 2 combination yielded the highest mean fiber yield at 41.2% with 0.61 heritability. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using 47 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers revealed a close relationship between G. mustelinum and G. hirsutum subsp. paniculatum (genetic distance = 0.13), and G. hirsutum subsp. glabrum var. marie-galante (genetic distance = 0.17). G. barbadense accessions and G. darwinii formed a separate cluster. Conclusions Our findings confirm the distinct phylogenetic position of G. mustelinum and highlight its significant potential as a genetic resource for cotton breeding, particularly for introgression of valuable traits like enhanced fiber length and yield into G. hirsutum . The identification of promising transgressive segregants with fiber lengths of 41.0–43.0 mm and fiber yields of 40.0–51.0% provides valuable germplasm for developing new long and medium-staple cotton varieties. Further genomic studies are warranted to fully characterize its genetic potential and overcome interspecific hybridization barriers. Gossypium Tetraploid cotton Genetic diversity Germplasm Genetic potential Crop improvement Molecular markers Introgression Wild relatives Cultivated cotton Full Text Supplementary Files SupplementaryTableS1.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 22 Jul, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 21 Jul, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 25 Jun, 2025 First submitted to journal 23 Jun, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6959594","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":488882204,"identity":"4d3ffc02-f7b7-49dc-9811-dd9f25aabe84","order_by":0,"name":"Feruza U. 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Kushanov","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Institute of Genetics and Plant Experimental Biology of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Fakhriddin","middleName":"N.","lastName":"Kushanov","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-06-23 20:04:15","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6959594/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6959594/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":87440510,"identity":"7b60bee8-86f8-45b9-8129-e5b3d26ebdb9","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-23 19:49:38","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":828088,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"Rafievaetal.2025.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6959594/v1_covered_d8e0cf9c-cade-445d-8bbb-74663bc97a88.pdf"},{"id":87439714,"identity":"78034d9a-4126-4ddd-85bc-154bfef3a16f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-07-23 19:25:35","extension":"docx","order_by":4,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":23070,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"SupplementaryTableS1.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-6959594/v1/b803702bd44c60b55aeaad53.docx"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Phylogenetic Relationships of Tetraploid Cotton Species (Gossypium L.) and Their Genetic Potential for Breeding Programs","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"journal-of-cotton-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"cotn","sideBox":"Learn more about [Journal of Cotton Research](https://jcottonres.biomedcentral.com)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/cotn/default.aspx","title":"Journal of Cotton Research","twitterHandle":"@BioMedCentral","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Gossypium, Tetraploid cotton, Genetic diversity, Germplasm, Genetic potential, Crop improvement, Molecular markers, Introgression, Wild relatives, Cultivated cotton","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6959594/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-6959594/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eBackground\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGossypium mustelinum\u003c/em\u003e Miers ex Watt is a rare, wild tetraploid cotton species native to northeastern Brazil, yet its phylogenetic relationships with cultivated cottons (\u003cem\u003eG. hirsutum\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eG. barbadense\u003c/em\u003e) and its genetic potential for breeding remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the cross-compatibility and molecular phylogenetic relationships between \u003cem\u003eG. mustelinum\u003c/em\u003e and several accessions of \u003cem\u003eG. hirsutum\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eG. barbadense\u003c/em\u003e, and \u003cem\u003eG. darwinii\u003c/em\u003e to assess its utility as a genetic resource for cotton improvement.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eInterspecific hybridizations resulted in 22 distinct F\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e combinations, showing varied cross-compatibility and reciprocal differences suggesting cytoplasmic or unilateral incompatibility. Notably, the \u003cem\u003eG. hirsutum\u003c/em\u003e subsp. \u003cem\u003eglabrum\u003c/em\u003e var. \u003cem\u003emarie-galante\u003c/em\u003e \u0026times; \u003cem\u003eG. mustelinum\u003c/em\u003e cross exhibited the highest complete seed set (87.2%), despite a low boll set. F\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e and F\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e hybrids demonstrated significant potential for improved fiber traits. For instance, the 'Beshqahramon' variety (\u003cem\u003eG. hirsutum\u003c/em\u003e) \u0026times; \u003cem\u003eG. mustelinum\u003c/em\u003e F\u003csub\u003e1\u003c/sub\u003e hybrid showed a high positive heterosis for fiber length (hp\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;33.00), and its F\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e population had a mean fiber length of 36.2 mm with 0.62 heritability. Similarly, the 'Beshqahramon' variety \u0026times; \u003cem\u003eG. mustelinum\u003c/em\u003e F\u003csub\u003e2\u003c/sub\u003e combination yielded the highest mean fiber yield at 41.2% with 0.61 heritability. Molecular phylogenetic analysis using 47 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers revealed a close relationship between \u003cem\u003eG. mustelinum\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eG. hirsutum\u003c/em\u003e subsp. \u003cem\u003epaniculatum\u003c/em\u003e (genetic distance\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.13), and \u003cem\u003eG. hirsutum\u003c/em\u003e subsp. \u003cem\u003eglabrum\u003c/em\u003e var. \u003cem\u003emarie-galante\u003c/em\u003e (genetic distance\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.17). \u003cem\u003eG. barbadense\u003c/em\u003e accessions and \u003cem\u003eG. darwinii\u003c/em\u003e formed a separate cluster.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusions\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eOur findings confirm the distinct phylogenetic position of \u003cem\u003eG. mustelinum\u003c/em\u003e and highlight its significant potential as a genetic resource for cotton breeding, particularly for introgression of valuable traits like enhanced fiber length and yield into \u003cem\u003eG. hirsutum\u003c/em\u003e. The identification of promising transgressive segregants with fiber lengths of 41.0\u0026ndash;43.0 mm and fiber yields of 40.0\u0026ndash;51.0% provides valuable germplasm for developing new long and medium-staple cotton varieties. Further genomic studies are warranted to fully characterize its genetic potential and overcome interspecific hybridization barriers.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Phylogenetic Relationships of Tetraploid Cotton Species (Gossypium L.) and Their Genetic Potential for Breeding Programs","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-07-23 19:25:30","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-6959594/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-07-22T18:09:40+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-07-22T03:07:40+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-06-25T08:34:34+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Journal of Cotton Research","date":"2025-06-23T16:03:34+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"journal-of-cotton-research","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"cotn","sideBox":"Learn more about [Journal of Cotton Research](https://jcottonres.biomedcentral.com)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/cotn/default.aspx","title":"Journal of Cotton Research","twitterHandle":"@BioMedCentral","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC/SO AJ","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"ab677a89-083e-4a07-b36e-f550855302d4","owner":[],"postedDate":"July 23rd, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-07-23T19:25:30+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-07-23 19:25:30","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-6959594","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-6959594","identity":"rs-6959594","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}