VdGGCT, a GGCT_like super family protein, is required for mycelial growth, conidiation and pathogenicity of Verticillium dahliae

Although gamma-glutamyl cyclotransferase (GGCT) holds promise as a therapeutic target in cancer, its functions and regulatory mechanisms in plant-pathogenic fungi remain largely elusive.

In this study, we demonstrate that deletion of the VdGGCT gene severely attenuates the development and virulence of V. dahliae. Interestingly, despite belonging to the GGCT subfamily of the GGCT superfamily, VdGGCT exhibits no detectable GGCT activity towards GSH, γ-Glu-Met, or γ-Glu-Cys. Further Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses revealed that VdGGCT is critically involved in regulating the transcription of genes and the abundance of metabolites closely associated with pathogenicity, particularly those implicated in amino acid metabolism, glutathione metabolism, and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites.