Chloride channels (CLCs) are kinds of anion transport protein family members that are mainly distributed in cell endomembrane systems of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms and mediate anion (Cl⁻, as a representative) transport and homeostasis. Some CLC genes have been reported to be involved in Cl⁻/salt tolerance of plants exposed to NaCl stress. Through BLAST in cotton database, a total of 22 CLCs were identified in genomes A and D in upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), and except for GhCLC6 and GhCLC17, they formed highly similar homologous genes pairs. According to the prediction in PlantCARE database, many cis-acting elements related to abiotic stress responses, including ABREs, AREs, GT-1s, G-boxes, MYBs, MYCs, etc., were found in the promoters of GhCLCs. qRT-PCR revealed that most GhCLC gene expression was upregulated in the roots and leaves of cotton seedlings under salt stress, and those of homologous GhCLC4/15, GhCLC5/16, and GhCLC7/18 displayed more obvious expression. Furthermore, according to leaf virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) assay and compared with the salt-stressed GhCLC4/15- and GhCLC7/18-silenced cotton plants, the salt-stressed GhCLC5/16-silenced plants displayed relatively better growth with significant increases in both Cl⁻ content and Cl⁻/NO₃⁻ ratio in the roots and drop of the same parameters in the leaves. These results indicate that homologous GhCLC5/16, with the highest NaCl⁻induced upregulation of expression and the maximum number of MYC cis-acting elements, might be the key members contributing to cotton Cl⁻/salt tolerance by regulating the transport, interaction and homeostasis of Cl⁻ and NO₃⁻.

氯离子通道（CLCS）是种阴离子转运蛋白家族成员的主要分布在原核和真核生物和中介阴离子（CL的细胞内膜系统^- ，作为代表）的运输和稳态。有些CLC基因已被报道涉及氯^-暴露在盐胁迫植物/耐盐性。通过棉花数据库中的BLAST ，除GhCLC6和GhCLC17外，在陆地棉（Gossypium hirsutum L.）的基因组A和D中共鉴定出22个CLC。，他们形成了高度相似的同源基因对。根据PlantCARE数据库预测，许多顺式作用有关非生物胁迫应答，包括ABREs，顷，GT-1，G-盒，MYBS，MYCs等要素，是在的启动子中发现GhCLC秒。qRT-PCR结果表明，在盐胁迫下，棉花幼苗的根和叶中大多数GhCLC基因表达上调，而同源GhCLC4 / 15，GhCLC5 / 16和GhCLC7 / 18的基因表达更为明显。此外，根据叶片病毒诱导的基因沉默（VIGS）分析，并与盐胁迫的GhCLC4 / 15-和GhCLC7 / 18-沉默的棉株比较，盐胁迫GhCLC5 / 16-沉默的植物显示相对更好的生长与在两个氯显著增加^-含量和Cl ^- / NO ₃ ^-比在根部和叶子的相同参数的下降。这些结果表明，同源GhCLC5 / 16，具有最高的NaCl ^-表达的诱导上调和MYC的最大数量的顺式作用元件，可能是导致棉花Cl为基准的关键成员^-通过调节传输，交互和稳态/耐盐的氯^-和NO ₃ ^-。