Drought stress tolerant cotton through nicotinamidase gene regulation

Overview

This research program aims to develop drought stress tolerant cotton by regulating the expression of nicotinamidase genes to enhance the NAD salvage pathway in plants. The approach is designed to improve crop resilience under water-limited conditions while maintaining normal plant growth and biomass accumulation. Cotton is a globally important commercial crop, and improved drought tolerance offers significant value for growers facing increasing climate variability and water scarcity.

The work builds on recently published findings demonstrating that regulating nicotinamidase 3 expression in Arabidopsis enhances drought stress tolerance and increases plant growth. The program extends this validated concept from a model plant to a major commercial crop, addressing a critical need for climate-resilient cotton varieties.

Technical specifications

Scientific approach:

• Identification and characterization of nine nicotinamidase genes in cotton
• Expression profiling to select the most suitable nicotinamidase gene candidate
• Genetic enhancement of expression levels in cotton plants
• Development and selection of homozygous lines for stable trait inheritance
• Testing under drought and additional abiotic stress conditions including heat stress

Key advantages:

• Targets a well-characterized metabolic pathway with proven effects in model organisms
• Designed to improve stress tolerance without compromising growth or biomass
• Applicable to cotton, a high-value commercial crop with significant global production
• Potential to extend to other abiotic stresses beyond drought

Researcher expertise:

• Over two decades of experience in plant biotechnology since 2000
• Background at RIKEN Japan working with model crops including rice and Arabidopsis
• Currently focused on translating findings to commercial crops at LUMS in Pakistan

Technology readiness level

The underlying biological mechanism has been validated through published research in Arabidopsis, demonstrating enhanced drought tolerance and increased biomass through nicotinamidase regulation and exogenous nicotinic acid application. The current program represents the translation phase from model organism to commercial crop application. Initial gene discovery work in cotton has identified nine candidate nicotinamidase genes. Future validation will involve expression analysis, gene selection, development of overexpression lines, homozygous line selection, and stress testing under drought and heat conditions. The technology is at an early-to-mid stage of development with ongoing laboratory and greenhouse validation needed before field readiness.