Mitochondrial prohibitin complex regulates fungal virulence via ATG24-assisted mitophagy

Prohibitins are highly conserved eukaryotic proteins in mitochondria that function in various cellular processes. The roles of prohibitins in fungal virulence and their regulatory mechanisms are still unknown. Here, we identified the prohibitins ChPhb1 and ChPhb2 in a plant pathogenic fungus Colletotrichum higginsianum and investigated their roles in the virulence of this anthracnose fungus attacking crucifers. We demonstrate that ChPhb1 and ChPhb2 are required for the proper functioning of mitochondria, mitophagy and virulence. ChPhb1 and ChPhb2 interact with the autophagy-related protein ChATG24 in mitochondria, and ChATG24 shares similar functions with these proteins in mitophagy and virulence, suggesting that ChATG24 is involved in prohibitin-dependent mitophagy. ChPhb1 and ChPhb2 modulate the translocation of ChATG24 into mitochondria during mitophagy. The role of ChATG24 in mitophagy is further confirmed to be conserved in plant pathogenic fungi. Our study presents that prohibitins regulate fungal virulence by mediating ATG24-assisted mitophagy.