VdEGe1, a Cell Wall-Degrading Enzyme Gene from Verticillium dahliae Required for Cotton Pathogenesis

ABSTRACT: Results: Host-induced gene silencing (HIGS) of VdEGe1 in cotton significantly attenuated Verticillium wilt symptoms, reduced fungal biomass, and lowered disease indices. Deletion of VdEGe1 impaired colony expension, sporulation, and carbon source utilization, and led to a marked reduction in pathogenicity on cotton. Secretome analysis of the ΔVdEGe1 mutant showed altered expression of secreted proteins, including multiple carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) and small cysteine-rich proteins (SCRPs). Furthermore, the mutant exhibited mitochondrial dysfunction, with downregulated expression of key mitochondrial proteins and decreased intracellular ATP levels. Conclusion: Collectively, our results demonstrate that VdEGe1 contributes to fungal virulence not only through cell wall degradation but also by modulating mitochondrial function and secretome composition, thereby coordinating nutrient acquisition, energy metabolism, and host colonization in V. dahliae.

ORGANISM(S): Verticillium Dahliae Vdls.17

SUBMITTER: Jie Sun  

PROVIDER: PXD073085 | iProX | Wed Jan 14 00:00:00 GMT 2026

REPOSITORIES: iProX