Evolutionary and Characteristic Analysis of RING-DUF1117 E3 Ubiquitin Ligase Genes in Gossypium Discerning the Role of GhRDUF4D in Verticillium dahliae Resistance

Verticillium wilt, primarily induced by the soil-borne fungus Verticillium dahliae, is a serious threat to cotton fiber production. There are a large number of really interesting new gene (RING) domain-containing E3 ubiquitin ligases in Arabidopsis, of which three (At2g39720 (AtRHC2A), At3g46620 (AtRDUF1), and At5g59550 (AtRDUF2)) have a domain of unknown function (DUF) 1117 domain in their C-terminal regions. This study aimed to detect and characterize the RDUF members in cotton, to gain an insight into their roles in cotton’s adaptation to environmental stressors. In this study, a total of 6, 7, 14, and 14 RDUF (RING-DUF1117) genes were detected in Gossypium arboretum, G. raimondii, G. hirsutum, and G. barbadense, respectively. These RDUF genes were classified into three groups. The genes in each group were highly conserved based on gene structure and domain analysis. Gene duplication analysis revealed that segmental duplication occurred during cotton evolution. Expression analysis revealed that the GhRDUF genes were widely expressed during cotton growth and under abiotic stresses. Many cis-elements related to hormone response and environment stressors were identified in GhRDUF promoters. The predicted target miRNAs and transcription factors implied that GhRDUFs might be regulated by gra-miR482c, as well as by transcription factors, including MYB, C2H2, and Dof. The GhRDUF genes responded to cold, drought, and salt stress and were sensitive to jasmonic acid, salicylic acid, and ethylene signals. Meanwhile, GhRDUF4D expression levels were enhanced after V. dahliae infection. Subsequently, GhRDUF4D was verified by overexpression in Arabidopsis and virus-induced gene silencing treatment in upland cotton. We observed that V. dahliae resistance was significantly enhanced in transgenic Arabidopsis, and weakened in GhRDUF4D silenced plants. This study conducted a comprehensive analysis of the RDUF genes in Gossypium, hereby providing basic information for further functional studies.