CAP superfamily proteins (VdPRYs) manipulate plant immunity and contribute to the virulence of <i>Verticillium dahliae</i>

CAP (cysteine-rich secretory proteins, antigen5, pathogenesis-related proteins) superfamily proteins are widely distributed, can be subdivided into 11 subfamilies, and form a unique branch in fungi, named PRY proteins. <i>Verticillium dahliae</i> is a soil-borne fungal pathogen of vascular plants that causes plant Verticillium wilt. However, the roles of CAP superfamily proteins in this fungus is unclear. Here, four CAP superfamily members with a conserved domain were identified in <i>V. dahliae</i>: VdPRY1, VdPRY2, VdPRY3, and VdPRY4. VdPRY1 and VdPRY3 were found to be key in suppressing plant immune responses. Moreover, these four members are highly expressed during early infection of cotton by <i>V. dahliae</i>. Deleting <i>VdPRY1</i>, <i>VdPRY2</i>, or <i>VdPRY3</i> reduced the fungus’s ability to cause disease, but <i>VdPRY4</i> deletion did not affect virulence. Deletion of any of four members did not impact fungal growth or carbon source use. Yeast two-hybrid experiments suggest that these proteins may function through interactions with each other. This investigation has, for the initial time, elucidated the pivotal roles of <i>V. dahliae</i> CAP superfamily proteins in inhibiting plant immunity and exerting virulence during interaction with the host plant.