GhLCYε-3 characterized as a lycopene cyclase gene responding to drought stress in cotton

Drought stress significantly affects crop productivity. Carotenoids are essential photosynthetic pigment for plants, bacteria, and algae, with signaling and antioxidant functions. Lutein is a crucial branch product in the carotenoid synthesis pathway, which effectively improves the stress tolerance of higher plants. lycopene cyclase, a central enzyme for lutein synthesis, holds great significance in regulating lutein production. This research establishes a correlation between lutein content and stress resistance by measuring the drought resistance and lutein content of various cotton materials. To identify which crucial genes are associated with lutein, the lycopene cyclase family (LCYs) was analyzed. The research found that LCYs form a highly conserved family divided into two subfamilies, LCY-ε (lycopene ε-cyclase) and LCY-β (lycopene β-cyclase). Most members of the LCY family contain photoresponsive elements and abscisic acid elements. qRT-PCR demonstrates showed that most genes responded positively to drought stress, and GhLCYε-3 was expressed significantly differently under drought stress. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay showed that the content of GhLCYε-3 was significantly increased with MDA and PRO, and the contents of chlorophyll and lutein were significantly decreased in pYL156 plants. The decrease in GhLCYε-3 expression is speculated to lead to reduced lutein content in vivo, resulting in the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and decreased drought tolerance. This research enriched the understanding of LCY gene family and lutein function, and provided a new reference for cotton planting in arid areas.