Microsporogenesis, associated with the functional expression of many genes, is a highly programmed and regulated process in flowering plants. To elucidate the roles of genes during anther development, two anther-specific cDNAs (designated GhACS1 and GhACS2) encoding acyl-CoA synthetases (ACSs) were isolated from a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) flower cDNA library. Subsequently, the corresponding GhACS1 gene was isolated from a cotton genomic DNA library. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR and northern blot analyses revealed that GhACS1 transcripts were predominantly accumulated in the developing anth...