Comparative S-acyl-proteomics reveals post-translational modulation of fungal purine metabolism for Verticillium wilt.

VdERF2-dependent S-acylation in Verticillium dahliae is enriched in purine metabolism, and S-acylation of VdHIUH is required for full fungal development and virulence.

• Why it matters: Metabolic regulation during fungal development and pathogenicity is poorly understood, and S-acylation has not been characterized in V. dahliae despite its role in modulating protein function.
• What they did: The study used systematic and comparative S-acyl-proteomic analyses to identify VdERF2-dependent S-acylated substrates, then tested the requirement of VdHIUH S-acylation for fungal development and virulence.
• The result: VdERF2-mediated S-acylation enhances VdHIUH activity, reducing uric acid accumulation, and allantoin partially alleviates elevated reactive oxygen species and developmental impairment linked to the VdHIUH S-acylation defect.