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Updated: Feb 6, 2026

Collection and Identification of Pollen from Honey Bee Colonies
Published on: January 19, 2021
Understanding the heat stress mitigation mechanisms during pollen development in Gossypium hirsutum L
Rabia Habib1, Zulqurnain Khan1, Abdel-Halim Ghazy2
1Institute of Plant Breeding and Biotechnology, MNS-University of Agriculture, Multan, Pakistan.
Background:
Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) yield is threatened by heat stress that impair pollen development and reduce reproductive success.
Objectives:
This study aimed to identify tolerant genotypes by integrating physiological screening with molecular analysis of key pollen development genes.
Materials And Methods:
Twenty cotton genotypes were evaluated in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates at the research area of MNS-University of Agriculture Multan under normal and heat stress conditions for two consecutive years. Physiological parameters including 2,3,5 triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride (TTC), acetocarmine-based pollen viability and relative cell membrane thermo-stability were measured to assess heat tolerance and sensitive genotypes.
Results:
Heat tolerant genotypes including UAM-20, FH-492, MNH-1035 and Cyto-177 exhibited higher pollen viability and reduced cell membrane injury under heat stress. Whereas, FH-901, CIM-448, JS-212 and CRIS-5 A were identified as heat sensitive genotypes due to low pollen viability and higher cell membrane injury. Expression analysis of GhADF7 and GhFLA14 through RT-PCR demonstrated differential expression between heat tolerant and sensitive genotypes.
Discussion:
Tolerant genotypes showed higher expression of both genes under heat stress as compared to the sensitive genotypes. These results suggest that integration of physiological screening and gene expression profiling provides a reliable approach to screen heat tolerant genotypes and highlights GhADF7 and GhFLA14 as key factors enabling reproductive thermotolerance.
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