Verticillium dahliae CFEM Effector VdCR Stabilises the Susceptibility Factor GhAGP31 to Suppress Host Vascular Immunity and Promote Cotton Verticillium Wilt.

VdCR, a CFEM effector from Verticillium dahliae, is drastically upregulated during cotton infection and stabilizes GhAGP31 to promote fungal pathogenicity.

• Why it matters: Cotton vascular wilt depends on fungal effectors that suppress host defenses, but how CFEM effectors target specific susceptibility factors in vascular immunity was unclear.
• What they did: The study identified VdCR, deleted it to test virulence, mapped physical targeting of GhAGP31 via the CFEM domain, and used VIGS to silence GhAGP31 and measure ROS, callose, and lignin.
• The result: GhAGP31 acts as a negative regulator of vascular immunity and development, and VdCR stabilizes GhAGP31 to increase its accumulation both in vitro and in planta, facilitating infection.

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