Comparative Profiling of Leaf MicroRNAs in White and Brown Cotton Cultivars: Insights into Color Regulation

Cotton is a vital crop with significant agricultural and economic importance, widely cultivated for its fiber, seed oil, and protein. While white cotton has been extensively studied and cultivated, the naturally colored cotton varieties, which offer eco-friendly advantages such as reduced dyeing costs and lower health risks, require significant fiber quality and yield improvements. The molecular mechanisms behind pigment synthesis, particularly the role of flavonoids and the phenylpropanoid pathway remain underexplored. Small RNAs, including miRNAs, have emerged as crucial regulators in plant metabolic pathways, including flavonoid biosynthesis. Through high-throughput sequencing and computational analyses, our study aims to identify miRNAs associated with color synthesis in white and brown cotton lines, contributing to a deeper understanding of their regulatory mechanisms and paving the way for future advancements in colored cotton breeding programs.