The Gti1/Pac2 family protein CFG1 controls fungal chlamydospore formation through orchestrating cell wall remodeling, lipid metabolism, and ribosome biogenesis.

CFG1, a Gti1/Pac2 family protein, is essential for chlamydospore formation in Trichoderma guizhouense, regulating lipid metabolism and cell wall remodeling.

• Why it matters: Understanding how fungi develop dormant, resilient chlamydospores is vital for controlling pathogenic species and revealing fundamental fungal biology.
• What they did: Researchers used multi-omics analyses, including transcriptomics and lipidomics, to identify CFG1 as a key regulator, with Δcfg1 mutants unable to produce chlamydospores under any conditions.
• The result: This work uncovers a molecular switch controlling fungal dormancy, highlighting CFG1’s role in coordinating metabolic reprogramming and cellular differentiation for long-term survival.