Map-based cloning of qLP. , a favorable allele from the Gossypium tomentosum chromosome segment line

Cotton is an important natural fiber crop in the world, which play a vital role in our daily life. High yield is a constant goal of cotton breeding. Lint percentage (LP) is one of the important components for cotton fiber yield. A stable QTL qLPA01.1, controlling lint percentage, was identified on chromosome A01 from G. hirsutum introgressed lines with G. tomentosum chromosome segments in the previous study. To fine-map qLPA01.1, a F2 population with 986 individuals was established by crossing G. hirsutum cultivar CCRI35 with a chromosome segment substitution line HT_390. A high-resolution genetic including 47 loci and spanning 56.98-cM was constructed in the QTL region, and qLPA01.1 was finally mapped into an interval corresponding a ~80-kb genome region of chromosome A01 in the reference genome, which contained six annotated genes. Transcriptome data and sequence analysis revealed that S-acyltransferase protein 24 (GoPAT24) might be the target gene of qLPA01.1. This result provides the basis for cotton fiber yield improvement via marker-assisted selection (MAS) and uncovering the mechanism of cotton fiber development.