Biochemical Strategies of Cotton Defense: Osmolyte Accumulation and Stability Enhance Resistance to Cotton Leaf Curl Virus
Keywords:
Cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV); osmolytes; glycine betaine; proline. resistant genotypes; biochemical markers.Abstract
Cotton leaf curl virus (CLCuV) remains a major constraint to sustainable cotton production, necessitating the identification of genotypes with superior tolerance mechanisms. This study evaluated the biochemical responses and disease severity of multiple cotton genotypes under graft inoculation. Substantial differences were observed between uninoculated and inoculated plants in the accumulation of glycine betaine (GB), proline (PRL), total soluble sugars (TSS), and total soluble proteins (TSP). Inoculated plants exhibited sharp increases in GB and PRL contents, with the highest levels recorded in FH-494, FH-492, FH-938, and FH-Super Cotton, indicating their critical role in osmotic adjustment. TSS showed moderate enhancement, particularly in FH-938 and FH-494, while TSP displayed a mixed trend, remaining relatively stable in tolerant lines but declining in sensitive ones. These biochemical adjustments were closely associated with disease severity indices (SI), which varied significantly among genotypes. Highly susceptible entries (e.g., FH-534, FH-933, FH-509, FH-5100, FH-415) recorded elevated SI values (>4.4), while tolerant lines (e.g., FH-525, FH-930, FH-520, FH-Anmol, FH-Super Cotton) showed intermediate responses. Notably, FH-492 and FH-494 exhibited the lowest SI (~1.6) alongside strong osmolyte accumulation and protein stability, identifying them as promising donor parents for resistance breeding. Overall, results underscore that enhanced GB and PRL accumulation, moderate sugar induction, and sustained protein integrity constitute a coordinated biochemical defense strategy against CLCuV. The integration of such resilient genotypes into breeding programs, supported by osmolyte-based biochemical screening, offers a practical approach to improving virus resistance and sustaining cotton productivity.
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