ORLA — Verticillium dahliae

Summary

VDAG_02281, designated VdORLA (also known as VdTPS2, VdTPP1, TPP1, TPS2, or ORLA) in Verticillium dahliae on chromosome DS572697, encodes a protein with trehalose synthase activity, transglucosylase activity, trehalose-phosphatase activity, and metal binding, belonging to the Glyco_trans_20 and Trehalose_PPase domain families. The gene is associated with penetration peg formation, cellular response to desiccation, positive regulation of autophagy, mycose biosynthesis, cellular response to nitrogen starvation, filamentous growth of a population of unicellular organisms in response to heat, cellular response to stress, mycose metabolism, ascospore formation, melanin anabolism, cellular response to heat, fungal-type cell wall organization, filamentous growth of a population of unicellular organisms in response to biotic stimulus, autophagy, and filamentous growth. It localizes to the trehalose-6-phosphate synthase complex, cytosol, and nucleus. VdORLA is linked to vascular wilt in Nicotiana benthamiana and to numerous phenotypes including increased acquired thermotolerance, freeze-thaw resistance, starvation resistance, and stationary-phase survival, as well as altered cell cycle progression, mating response, spore germination, and nuclear size. Studies of related genes in other species connect the family to sporogenesis, oxidative stress response, and acid sensitivity.