Advances in Cold Tolerance Genes and Their Application in Genetic Engineering of Plant for Cold Tolerance

Low temperature is one of the main environmental stress factors influenc- ing plant growth and development and crop yield. Cold tolerance genes and progress of their application in genetic engineering of plant for cold tolerance were reviewed comprehensively and systematically from the aspect of genes that are in- volved in biosynthesis of osmotic substances, genes coding fatty acid desaturation enzymes, antifreeze protein genes, genes coding antioxidant enzymes and so on, aiming at laying the foundation for genetic improvement of cold tolerance and breeding of plants.

Piriformospora indica confers drought tolerance on Zea mays L.through enhancement of antioxidant activity and expression of drought-related genes

Drought stress is one of the most severe environmental constraints to plant growth and crop productivity. Plant growth is greatly affected by drought stress, and plants, to survive,adapt to this stress by invoking different pathways. Piriformospora indica, a root-colonizing endophytic fungus of Sebacinales, promotes plant growth and confers resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses, including drought stress, by affecting the physiological properties of the host plant. The fungus strongly colonizes the roots of maize(Zea mays L.) and promotes shoot and root growth under both normal growth conditions and drought stress. We used polyethylene glycol(PEG-6000) to mimic drought stress and found that root fresh and dry weight, leaf area, SPAD value, and leaf number were increased in P. indica-colonized plants.The antioxidative activities of catalases and superoxide dismutases were upregulated within 24h in the leaves of P. indica-colonized plants. Drought-related genes DREB2A, CBL1,ANAC072, and RD29A were upregulated in drought-stressed leaves of P. indica-colonized plants. Furthermore, after drought treatment, proline content increased, whereas accumulation of malondialdehyde(MDA), an indicator of membrane damage, decreased in P. indica-colonized maize. We conclude that P. indica-mediated plant protection against the detrimental effects of drought may result from enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity,proline accumulation, and expression of drought-related genes and lower membrane damage in maize plants.

Over-Expression of ICE1 Gene in Transgenic Rice Improves Cold Tolerance

ICE1, an Arabidopsis thaliana transcription factor gene, was cloned by RT-PCR and successfully transformed into rice variety Kenjiandao 10 by the Agrobacterium-mediated transformation method. PCR amplification and Southern blot analysis indicated that ICE1 had been integrated into rice genome. Compared with the non-transgenic plants, the transgenic plants exhibited high resistance to hygromycin B and were consistent with the Mendelian inheritance of a single copy of the transgenic ICE1. Under the low temperature stress, the transgenic plants showed the lower mortality rate and the increased proline content. These results suggest that the Arabidopsis ICE1 is functional in rice and the over-expression of ICE1 improves the tolerance to cold stress in rice.

Mapping and validation of a dominant salt tolerance gene in the cultivated soybean(Glycine max) variety Tiefeng 8

Salt is an abiotic stress factor that strongly affects soybean growth and production. A single dominant gene has been shown to confer salt tolerance in the soybean cultivar Tiefeng 8.The objective of the present study was to genetically map the salt-tolerance gene in an F2:3population and a recombinant inbred line(RIL) population derived from a cross between two cultivated soybeans, Tiefeng 8(tolerant) and 85-140(sensitive). The F2:3families and RILs were treated with 200 mmol L-1Na Cl to evaluate salt tolerance. The F2:3population showed 1(42 tolerant): 2(132 segregating): 1(65 sensitive) segregation, indicating a single dominant gene for salt tolerance in Tiefeng 8. A sequence-characterized amplified region(SCAR) marker from a previously identified random amplified polymorphic DNA(RAPD)marker and four insertion/deletion polymorphism(In Del) markers were developed within the mapping region. Using these markers along with SSR markers, the salt-tolerance gene was mapped within 209 kb flanked by SCAR marker QS08064 and SSR marker Barcsoyssr_3_1301 on chromosome 3. Three markers that cosegregated with the salt tolerance gene and SCAR marker QS08064 were used to genotype 35 tolerant and 23 sensitive soybean accessions. These markers showed selection efficiencies of 76.2% to94.2%. The results indicate that these markers will be useful for marker-assisted breeding and facilitating map-based cloning of the salt tolerance gene in soybean.

Cloning and Characterization of a Salt Tolerance-Associated Gene Encoding Trehalose-6-Phosphate Synthase in Sweetpotato

Trehalose plays an important role in metabolic regulation and abiotic stress tolerance in a variety of organisms. In plants, its biosynthesis is catalyzed by two key enzymes： trehalose-6-phosphate synthase（TPS） and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase（TPP）. In the present study, a TPS gene, named IbTPS, was first isolated from sweetpotato（Ipomoea batatas（L.） Lam.） cv. Lushu 3 by rapid amplification of cDNA ends（RACE）. The open reading frame（ORF） contained 2 580 nucleotides encoding 859 amino acids with a molecular weight of 97.433 kDa and an isoelectric point（pI） of 5.7. The deduced amino acid sequence showed high identities with TPS of other plants. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of IbTPS gene was significantly higher in stems of Lushu 3 than in its leaves and roots. Subcellular localization analysis in onion epidermal cells indicated that IbTPS gene was located in the nucleus. Transgenic tobacco（cv. Wisconsin 38） plants over-expressing IbTPS gene exhibited significantly higher salt tolerance compared with the control plant. Trehalose and proline content was found to be significantly more accumulated in transgenic tobacco plants than in the wild-type and several stress tolerance related genes were up-regulated. These results suggest that IbTPS gene may enhance salt tolerance of plants by increasing the amount of treahalose and proline and regulating the expression of stress tolerance related genes.

Molecular Cloning and Functional Characterization of a Salt Tolerance-Associated Gene IbNFU1 from Sweetpotato

Iron-sulfur cluster biosynthesis involving the nitrogen fixation（Nif） proteins has been proposed as a general mechanism acting in various organisms.NifU-like protein may play an important role in protecting plants against abiotic and biotic stresses.Based on the EST sequence selected from salt-stressed suppression subtractive hybridization（SSH） cDNA library constructed with a salt-tolerant mutant LM79,a NFU gene,termed IbNFU1,was cloned from sweetpotato（Ipomoea batatas（L.） Lam.） via rapid amplification of cDNA ends（RACE）.The cDNA sequence of 1 117 bp contained an 846 bp open reading frame encoding a 281 amino acids polypeptide with a molecular weight of 30.5 kDa and an isoelectric point（pI） of 5.12.IbNFU1 gene contained a conserved Cys-X-X-Cys motif in C-terminal of the iron-sulfur cluster domain.The deduced amino acid sequence had 66.08 to 71.99% sequence identity to NFU genes reported in Arabidopsis thaliana,Eucalyptus grandis and Vitis vinifera.Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression level of IbNFU1 gene was significantly higher in the roots of the mutant LM79 compared to the wild-type Lizixiang.Transgenic tobacco（cv.Wisconsin 38） plants expressing IbNFU1 gene exhibited significantly higher salt tolerance compared to the untransformed control plants.It is proposed that IbNFU1 gene has an important function for salt tolerance of plants.

Tolerant Mechanism and Chromosome Location of Gene Controlling Sprouting Tolerance in Aegilops Tauschii Cosson

An artificial amphiploid RSP (2n = 42, AABBDD) between tetraploid landrace Ailanmai (Triticum turgidum L., 2n= 28, AABB) and Aegllops tauschii (DD, 2n = 14) expressed high tolerance to preharvest sprouting which derived from Ae. tauschii. Tolerance to preharvest sprouting of RSP was examined by four ways in six varying periods after anthesis. The germination percentages of preharvest intact spikes were only 6.06% in its high peak period of germination. Its tolerance was mainly decided by the seed dormancy. It was showed that the tolerance to sprouting in ' RSP' derived from Ae. tauschii was inherited as a recessive trait which was controlled by one gene, located on chromosome 2D.

Mapping a Novel Gene of Cold Tolerance at Booting Stage by Using Near-Isogenic Lines in japonica Rice

Genetic analysis showed that cold tolerance at booting stage of near-isogenic lines （NILs） of Kunmingxiaobaigu was controlled by a gene with large phenotypic variance. One hundred and sixty-four simple sequence repeats （SSR） distributed over 12 chromosomes were used to screen polymorphism between Towata （recurrent parent, RP） and near-isogenic line pool （NILP）, and two SSR markers at the long arm of chromosome 5 showed polymorphism in comparison with RP genome. Of the two markers, RM31 was found possibly linked with the cold tolerance gene at booting stage through one-way ANOVA. Twelve SSR markers around RM31 were then used to detect polymorphism between RP and NIL, and only RM7452 had polymorphism. The gene of cold tolerance at booting stage was further mapped on chromosome 5 between RM7452 and RM31 with genetic distances of 4.8 cM and 8.0 cM, respectively. This gene explained 10.50% of phenotypic variance and 5.10% of phenotypic variance of fully filled grains, and was tentatively designated as Ctb（t）.

Cloning of the OAT gene and the correlation between its expression and drought tolerance in Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Drought stress is a major abiotic stress of common bean（Phaseolus vulgaris L.） throughout the world. Increasing the proline accumulation contributes to enhance crop drought tolerance. A c DNA for δ-o rnithine aminotransferase（δ-OAT）, an enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of proline, was isolated from Phaseolus vulgaris（Pv OAT）. Pv OAT exhibits 87.4 and 39.8% similarity of the deduced amino acid sequences with δ-OAT from Glycine max and Vigna aconitifolia, respectively. The transcriptional analysis revealed that Pv OAT was strongly induced by drought stress. And the expression of Pv OAT was higher in leaves than that in the root and stem of common bean by drought stress. Similar increase of the proline accumulation was observed in leaves and roots of common bean by drought stress. Furthermore, the proline content, the Pv OAT expression and the Pv OAT enzyme activity in cul tivar F5575 was significantly（P〈0.01） higher than that in cultivar F4851 under drought-stress conditions. Interestingly, it had been observed that, in the later stage of drought stress, the proline steadily maintained at the maximum level maybe result from the Pv OAT enzyme activity increasing steadily. These r esults indicated that the expression of Pv OAT and the accumulation of proline induced by drought stress treatment were related to the degree of common bean drought tolerance. So our results support the view that δ-OAT is associated with proline synthesis under drought stress conditions.

Assessment of Variation in Morpho-Physiological Traits and Genetic Diversity in Relation to Submergence Tolerance of Five Indigenous Lowland Rice Landraces

The present study evaluated submergence responses in 88 lowland indigenous rice(Oryza sativa L.) landraces from Koraput, India, to identify submergence-tolerant rice genotypes. In pot experiments, variations in survival rate, shoot elongation, relative growth index, dry matter, chlorophyll, soluble sugar and starch contents were evaluated in two consecutive years under well-drained and completely submerged conditions. Principal component analysis showed that the first three axes contributed 96.820% of the total variation among the landraces, indicating wide variation between genotypes. Major traits such as survival rate, relative growth index, soluble sugar and starch contents appeared to be important determinants of phenotypic diversity among the landraces. Phenotypic coefficient of variance was higher than genotypic coefficient of variance for all the traits and all showed high heritability(90.38%–99.54%). Five rice landraces(Samudrabali, Basnamundi, Gadaba, Surudaka and Dokarakuji) were the most tolerant to submergence. When submerged for up to 14d, Samudrabali, Basnamundi and Godoba were notable for having greater survival rates than a standard submergence tolerant variety FR13 A, and also notable for elongating more vigorously and accumulating more biomass. These three landraces may therefore be especially useful in lowland rice growing areas that are affected by both moderate stagnant water and flash flooding. Molecular genotyping revealed that the submergence tolerance of Samudrabali, Basnamundi and Godoba is linked to the presence of one or more different Sub1 loci and it may well prove useful for breeding improved submergence tolerant rice varieties, thereby assising to improve yield stability in the rainfed lowland agro-ecosystem.

Developing transgenic maize(Zea mays L.) with insect resistance and glyphosate tolerance by fusion gene transformation

Using linker peptide LP4/2A for multiple gene transformation is considered to be an effective method to stack or pyramid several traits in plants. Bacillus thuringiensis（Bt） cry gene and epsps（5-enolpyruvylshikimate-3-phosphate synthase） gene are two important genes for culturing pest-resistant and glyphosate-tolerant crops. We used linker peptide LP4/2A to connect the Bt cry1 Ah gene with the 2m G2-epsps gene and combined the wide-used man A gene as a selective marker to construct one coordinated expression vector called p2 EPUHLAGN. The expression vector was transferred into maize by Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation, and 60 plants were obtained, 40% of which were positive transformants. Molecular detection demonstrated that the two genes in the fusion vector were expressed simultaneously and spliced correctly in translation processing; meanwhile bioassay detection proved the transgenic maize had preferable pest resistance and glyphosate tolerance. Therefore, linker peptide LP4/2A provided a simple and reliable strategy for producing gene stacking in maize and the result showed that the fusion gene transformation system of LP4/2A was feasible in monocot plants.

OsMas1,a novel maspardin protein gene,confers tolerance to salt and drought stresses by regulating ABA signaling in rice

Drought and salt stresses,the major environmental abiotic stresses in agriculture worldwide,affect plant growth,crop productivity,and quality.Therefore,developing crops with higher drought and salt tolerance is highly desirable.This study reported the isolation,biological function,and molecular characterization of a novel maspardin gene,OsMas1,from rice.The OsMas1 protein was localized to the cytoplasm.The expression levels of OsMas1 were up-regulated under mannitol,PEG6000,NaCl,and abscisic acid(ABA) treatments in rice.The OsMas1 gene was introduced into the rice cultivar Zhonghua 11(wild type,WT).OsMas1-overexpression(OsMas1-OE) plants exhibited significantly enhanced salt and drought tolerance;in contrast,OsMas1-interference(OsMas1-RNAi) plants exhibited decreased tolerance to salt and drought stresses,compared with WT.OsMas1-OE plants exhibited enhanced hypersensitivity,while OsMas1-RNAi plants showed less sensitivity to exogenous ABA treatment at both germination and post-germination stages.ABA,proline and K+ contents and superoxide dismutase(SOD),catalase(CAT),peroxidase(POD),and photosynthesis activities were significantly increased.In contrast,malonaldehyde(MDA),hydrogen peroxide(H2O2),superoxide anion radical(O2-··),and Na+ contents were significantly decreased in OsMas1-OE plants compared with OsMas1-RNAi and WT plants.Overexpression of OsMas1 up-regulated the genes involved in ABA signaling,proline biosynthesis,reactive oxygen species(ROS)-scavenging system,photosynthesis,and ion transport under salt and drought stresses.Our results indicate that the OsMas1 gene improves salt and drought tolerance in rice,which may serve as a candidate gene for enhancing crop resistance to abiotic stresses.

Combining QTL mapping and expression profile analysis to identify candidate genes of cold tolerance from Dongxiang common wild rice(Oryza rufipogon Griff.)

Rice（Oryza sativa L.）, a tropical and subtropical crop, is susceptible to low temperature stress during seedling, booting, and flowering stages, which leads to lower grain quality levels and decreasing rice yields. Cold tolerance is affected by multiple genetic factors in rice, and the complex genetic mechanisms associated with chilling stress tolerance remain unclear. Here, we detected seven quantitative trait loci（QTLs） for cold tolerance at booting stage and identified one cold tolerant line, SIL157, in an introgression line population derived from a cross between the indica variety Guichao 2, as the recipient, and Dongxiang common wild rice, as the donor. When compared with Guichao 2, SIL157 showed a stronger cold tolerance during different growth stages. Through an integrated strategy that combined QTL-mapping with expression profile analysis, six candidate genes, which were up-regulated under chilling stress at the seedling and booting developmental stages, were studied. The results may help in understanding cold tolerance mechanisms and in using beneficial alleles from wild rice to improve the cold tolerance of rice cultivars through molecular marker-assisted selection.

Comparative mapping of QTLs for Al tolerance in rice and identification of positional Al-induced genes

Aluminum (Al) toxicity is the major factor limiting crop productivity in acid soils. In this study, a recombinant inbreed line (RIL) population derived from a cross between an Al sensitive lowland indica rice variety IR1552 and an Al tolerant upland japonica rice variety Azucena, was used for mapping quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for Al tolerance. Three QTLs for relative root length (RRL) were detected on chromosome 1, 9, 12, respectively, and 1 QTL for root length under Al stress is identical on chromosome 1 after one week and two weeks stress. Comparison of QTLs on chromosome 1 from different studies indicated an identical interval between C86 and RZ801 with gene(s) for Al tolerance. This interval provides an important start point for isolating genes responsible for Al tolerance and understanding the genetic nature of Al tolerance in rice. Four Al induced ESTs located in this interval were screened by reverse Northern analysis and confirmed by Northern analysis. They would be candidate genes for the QTL.

Assessment of molecular markers and marker-assisted selection for drought tolerance in barley(Hordeum vulgare L.)

This review updates the present status of the field of molecular markers and marker-assisted selection(MAS),using the example of drought tolerance in barley.The accuracy of selected quantitative trait loci(QTLs),candidate genes and suggested markers was assessed in the barley genome cv.Morex.Six common strategies are described for molecular marker development,candidate gene identification and verification,and their possible applications in MAS to improve the grain yield and yield components in barley under drought stress.These strategies are based on the following five principles:(1)Molecular markers are designated as genomic‘tags’,and their‘prediction’is strongly dependent on their distance from a candidate gene on genetic or physical maps;(2)plants react differently under favourable and stressful conditions or depending on their stage of development;(3)each candidate gene must be verified by confirming its expression in the relevant conditions,e.g.,drought;(4)the molecular marker identified must be validated for MAS for tolerance to drought stress and improved grain yield;and(5)the small number of molecular markers realized for MAS in breeding,from among the many studies targeting candidate genes,can be explained by the complex nature of drought stress,and multiple stress-responsive genes in each barley genotype that are expressed differentially depending on many other factors.

Effect of the C.–1388 A>G polymorphism in chicken heat shock transcription factor 3 gene on heat tolerance

Heat stress is one of the main factors that inlfuence poultry production. Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are known to affect heat tolerance. The formation of HSPs is regulated by heat shock transcription factor 3 (HSF3) in chicken. A DNA pool was established for identifying single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the chicken HSF3, and 13 SNPs were detected. The bioinformatic analysis showed that 8 SNPs had the capacity to alter the transcription activity of HSF3. The dual luciferase report gene assay showed that there was a signiifcant difference (P<0.01) in the Firelfy luciferase/Renil a luciferase ratio (F/R) of C.–1 703 A>G (S1) and C.–1 388 A>G (S4) sites at the 5′-untranslated region (UTR) of chicken HSF3. The elec-trophoretic mobility shift assay showed that the S4 site was a transcription binding factor. The analysis of the association of the S1 and S4 sites with heat tolerance index revealed that the S4 site was signiifcantly correlated with the CD3+T cel , corticosterone, and T3 levels in Lingshan chickens and with the heterophil/lymphocyte value in White Recessive Rock. These results showed that the S4 site at the 5′ UTR of chicken HSF3 might have an impact on heat tolerance in summer and could be used as a potential marker for the selection of chicken with heat tolerance in the future.

Expression of a Carrot 36 kD Antifreeze Protein Gene Improves ColdStress Tolerance in Transgenic Tobacco

Antifreeze proteins （AFPs） enable organisms to survive under cold conditions, and have great potential in improving cold tolerance of cold-sensitive plants, In order to determine whether expression of the carrot 36 kD antifreeze protein gene confers improved cold-resistant properties to plant tissues, we tried to obtain transgenic tobacco plants which expressed the antifreeze protein. Cold, salt, and drought induced promoter Prd29A was cloned using PCR from Arabidopsis. Two plant expression vectors based on pBI121 were constructed with CaMV35S：AFP and Prd29A：AFP. Tobacco plantlets were transformed by Agrobacterium-medicated transformation. PCR and Southern blotting demonstrated that the carrot 36 kD afp gene was successfully integrated into the genomes of transformed plantlets. The expression of the afp gene in transgenic plants led to improved tolerance to cold stress. However, the use of the strong constitutive 35S cauliflower mosaic virus （CaMV） promoter to drive expression of afp also resulted in growth retardation under normal growing conditions. In contrast, the expression of afp driven by the stress-inducible Prd29A promoter from Arabidopsis gave rise to minimal effects on plant growth while providing an increased tolerance to cold stress condition （2℃）. The results demonstrated the prospect of using Prd29A-AFP transgenic plants in cold-stressed conditions that will in turn benefit agriculture.

Evaluation of Inherited Resistance Genes of Bacterial Leaf Blight, Blast and Drought Tolerance in Improved Rice Lines

Improved rice lines were developed frome three parents with the resistance or tolerance to bacterial leaf blight,blast and drought stress,respectively,using single-,double-and three-way crosses.The improved lines were assessed for agro-morphological and yield traits under non-drought stress(NS)and reproductive-stage drought stress(RS)treatments.The mean comparison of traits measured between parent plants and progenies(improved lines)were similar,and there were significant and non-significant differences among the parents and improved lines(genotypes)under NS and RS.Smilarly,there was significant and non-significant differences in the interaction among both parent varieties and improved lines for NS and RS.Cluster and 3D-model of principal component analysis did not generate categorical clusters according to crossing methods,and there were no exclusive crossing method inclined variations under the treatments.The improved lines were high-yielding,disease resistant,and drought-tolerant compared with their parents.All the crossing methods were good for this crop improvement program without preference to any,despite the number of genes introgressed.

Development of Hybrid Rice Variety FY7206 with Blast Resistance Gene Pid3 and Cold Tolerance Gene Ctb1

Hybrid rice Fanyou 7206（FY7206）, derived from the cross between a sterile line Fanyuan A and a restorer line Fuhui 7206, was bred by the Rice Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China. FY7206 was characterized by moderate blast resistance, cold tolerance, as well as wide adaptability, and high yields. The blast resistance results indicated that the frequencies of blast races in race B, race C and the total resistance frequency for FY7206 were 95.5%, 100.0% and 97.2%, respectively. The disease resistance results showed that the leaf blast grade for FY7206 was level 1 and panicle blast was level 5. The indoor spray results indicated that FY7206 was resistant to 11 isolates of Magnorpathe oryzae. The blast resistance of FY7206 might be derived from the high expression of blast resistance gene Pid3. The results for simulated cold resistance in an artificial climate chamber indicated that the cold tolerance for FY7206 was moderate at the booting and flowering stages. The cold tolerance results also indicated that FY7206 could be tolerant to temperatures as low as 10 °C at the seedling stage. The q RT-PCR results showed that the expression of cold tolerance gene Ctb1 in FY7206 was relatively high. These results suggested that FY7206 is a hybrid indica rice variety with good comprehensive characteristics, including blast resistance and cold tolerance.

Identification of QTLs and candidate genes for physiological traits associated with drought tolerance in cotton

Background:Cotton is mainly grown for its natural fiber and edible oil.The fiber obtained from cotton is the indispensable raw material for the textile industries.The ever changing climatic condition,threatens cotton production due to a lack of sufficient water for its cultivation.Effects of drought stress are estimated to affect more than 50%of the cotton growing regions.To elucidate the drought tolerance phenomenon in cotton,a backcross population was developed from G.tomentosum,a drought tolerant donor parent and G.hirsutum which is highly susceptible to drought stress.Results:A genetic map of 10888 SNP markers was developed from 200 BC_2F_2 populations.The map spanned 4191.3 centi-Morgan(c M),with an average distance of 0.1047 c M,covering 51%and 49%of At and Dt sub genomes,respectively.Thirty stable Quantitative trait loci(QTLs)were detected,in which more than a half were detected in the At subgenome.Eighty-nine candidate genes were mined within the QTL regions for three traits:cell membrane stability(CMS),saturated leaf weight(SLW)and chlorophyll content.The genes had varied physiochemical properties.A majority of the genes were interrupted by introns,and only 15 genes were intronless,accounting for 17%of the mined genes.The genes were found to be involved molecular function(MF),cellular component(CC)and biological process(BP),which are the main gene ontological(GO)functions.A number of mi RNAs were detected,such as mi R164,which is associated with NAC and MYB genes,with a profound role in enhancing drought tolerance in plants.Through RT-q PCR analysis,5 genes were found to be the key genes involved in enhancing drought tolerance in cotton.Wild cotton harbors a number of favorable alleles,which can be exploited to aid in improving the narrow genetic base of the elite cotton cultivars.The detection of 30 stable QTLs and 89 candidate genes found to be contributed by the donor parent,G.tomentosum,showed the significant genes harbored by the wild progenitors which can be exploited in developing more robust cotton genotypes with diverse tolerance levels to various environmental stresses.Conclusion:This was the first study involving genome wide association mapping for drought tolerance traits in semi wild cotton genotypes.It offers an opportunity for future exploration of these genes in developing highly tolerant cotton cultivars to boost cotton production.