Figure 6.

Overexpression of GhERGF‐IIb3 induces bacterial blight resistance in cotton plants. (A) Cotton cotyledons overexpressing GhERF‐IIb3 or GFP6 as a control were inoculated at 10⁸ colony‐forming units (cfu)/mL with the virulent Xanthomonas citri pv. malvacearum (Xcm) strain (race 20). Symptom photographs at 12 days post‐inoculation (dpi). Note the hypersensitive reaction (HR)‐like symptoms in GhERFIIb3‐expressing cotyledons compared with typical yellow disease symptoms in GFP6 controls. (B) Cell death intensity at 12 dpi using water loss as proxy. (C) Kinetic evolution of cotyledon bacterial content. All experiments (B, C and D) were repeated at least three times with similar results. Averages ± standard deviation (n = 12) were calculated from biological triplicates. GFP, green fluorescent protein.