Verticillium dahliae CAP-containing effectors hijack the β-subunit of the SnRK1 complex to suppress plant immunity.

VdCAP1 from Verticillium dahliae binds the β-subunit GhSnRK1β1 of the SnRK1 complex and suppresses cotton immunity by disrupting SnRK1β1 nuclear accumulation.

• Why it matters: CAP effectors are linked to virulence in Verticillium dahliae, but how they rewire host SnRK1 signaling to alter immune outputs was unclear.
• What they did: The study screened VdCAP1 targets in cotton, confirmed interaction with SnRK1β1 in vivo and in vitro, and used GhSnRK1β1 silencing plus localization and co-expression assays to test immune effects.
• The result: GhSnRK1β1 silencing increased susceptibility, while VdCAP1 disrupted SnRK1β1–SnRK1α core association and reduced nuclear accumulation; nuclear GhSnRK1β1 promoted flg22-triggered ROS, whereas cytoplasmic GhSnRK1β1 suppressed ROS, with VdCAP3 acting similarly.

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