Integrated genome and expression of the TGA family in Gossypium hirsutum reveals GhTGA12 could positively regulate systemic acquired resistance

Cotton diseases pose a serious threat to yield and fiber quality. Systemic acquired resistance (SAR) is a crucial and prolonged immune response to pathogen infection; yet, its regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood in cotton. Here, 35 TGACG binding (TGA) transcription factors were identified in Gossypium hirsutum , classifying them into five groups based on phylogenetic analysis, conserved motifs, and gene structures. Among them, GhTGA12, a group II member, emerged as a novel disease-associated transcription factor based on RNA-seq analysis under biotic stress conditions. GhTGA12 encodes a nuclear protein with 11 exons and 10 introns, harboring the conserved TGA-specific domains (bZIP, DOG1, Q1, and Q2). GhTGA12 has transcriptional activation activity through its N-terminal region and could be triggered by Pst DC3000. While GhTGA12 -overexpressing Arabidopsis did not exhibit enhanced resistance after a single Pst DC3000 challenge, it showed significantly increased resistance upon Pst DC3000 pretreatment, consistent with SAR activation. These lines also exhibited elevated ROS levels and increased PR expression levels ( PR1 , PR2 , PR5 , and GRXS13 ). Additionally, GhTGA12 physically interacts with GhNPR1, a key regulator of SAR. Collectively, this study identifies GhTGA12 as a critical SAR-positive regulator via ROS signaling, PR gene activation, and GhNPR1 interaction, offering new targets for enhancing disease resistance in cotton. ● Thirty-five GhTGA members were identified in Gossypium hirsutum . ● GhTGA12 enhances systemic acquired resistance (SAR) via the GhTGA12–GhNPR1 regulatory module. ● GhTGA12 localizes to the nucleus and exhibits N-terminal-mediated transcriptional activation. ● GhTGA12 promotes defense responses through ROS accumulation, PR gene induction, and GhNPR1 interaction.