GhNUP160 mediates cotton resistance to Verticillium dahliae through salicylic acid and jasmonic acid pathways

Abstract Background Verticillium wilt, commonly known as cotton cancer, is a devastating disease that significantly reduces cotton yield and fiber quality worldwide. The nuclear pore complex (NPC), composed of nucleoporins (Nups), plays a crucial role in plant disease resistance by mediating nucleocytoplasmic transport and selective nuclear signaling that are key components of pathogen defense. Given the critical role of nucleoporins in plant immunity, their specific roles in cotton remain poorly understood, highlighting the need for a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis to clarify their contributions to disease resistance in cotton. Results This study identified a total of 42 Nup genes across five cotton species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed divergence of these genes into six distinct subgroups during evolution. Analysis of cis -acting elements indicated that Nup gene expression may be regulated by salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and temperature, impacting disease resistance. Collinearity and chromosomal mapping demonstrated strong conservation of Nup gene functions across species. Furthermore, virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) showed that silencing of Ghnup160 significantly reduced cotton resistance to Verticillium wilt. Conclusions Our study suggests an important role of Ghnup160 in the cotton defense pathway and provides functional insights into the Ghnup160 gene and lays the groundwork for further investigation into Nup-mediated resistance mechanisms in cotton.