Genetic Engineering Methods Create Indigo and Red Cotton Fibers

The Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, recently used plant genetic engineering methods to create indigo and red cotton fibers.
It is understood that the indigo-blue related gene BCE and the red flower pigment synthetase gene DFR were cloned, and they were serially connected with the cotton fiber-specific expression promoter PTL12 to construct a cotton fiber expression vector. The institute cooperated with Xinjiang Tiancai Technology Co., Ltd. to introduce the constructed expression vector into cotton using the pollen tube channel method. In the present day, bolls with indigo and red fibers were obtained.
Cotton fiber is a natural plant fiber, has low production cost, large output, and has the advantages of moisture absorption, ventilation, good warmth, no static electricity, and soft hand feeling. Consumption of cotton fiber products tends to be hot, but natural cotton fibers are mainly white and need to be dyed. Due to the lack of genetic resources and the limitations of conventional breeding, natural colored cotton is currently only planted in small quantities of colored cotton, such as brown and green, and is not only monotonous in color, but also has poor stability.
The Institute’s research has demonstrated that genetically engineered methods can be used to cultivate a rich variety of natural colored cotton. The emergence of this genetic engineering colored cotton can meet the needs of environmental protection, ecology, nature and other aspects, and has a broad market prospect.