Verticillium dahliae causes vascular wilt disease on over 200 plant species worldwide. This fungus forms melanized microsclerotia which help it to survive under adverse conditions and these structures are vital to the disease spread. Here, we identified and characterized a V. dahliae homolog to of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae Ssk1, a response regulator of the two-component system. Herein, we demonstrated that the VdSsk1 deletion strains were more sensitive to various stresses, including oxidative stress conferred by H 2 O 2 and sodium nitroprusside dihydrate, while the mutants confered higher resistance to fungicides such as fludioxonil and iprodione. Furthermore, disruption of VdSsk1 resulted in significant downregulation of melanin biosynthesis-related genes but did not affect microsclerotial development. Phosphorylation of VdHog1 was not detected in the VdSsk1 deletion strains under the treatment of sorbitol, indicating that phosphorylation of VdHog1 is dependent on VdSsk1. Finally, we demonstrated that VdSsk1 is required for full virulence. Taken together, this study suggests that VdSsk1 modulates stress response, melanin biosynthesis and virulence of V. dahliae .

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Visually induced motion sickness (VIMS) is a common discomfort response associated with vection-provoking stimuli. It has been suggested that susceptibility to VIMS depends on the ability to regulate visual performance during vection. To test this, 29 participants, with VIMS susceptibility assessed by Motion Sickness Susceptibility Questionnaire, were recruited to undergo three series of sustained attention to response tests (SARTs) while watching dot pattern stimuli known to provoke roll-vection. In general, SARTs performance was impaired in the central visual field (CVF), but improved in peripheral visual field (PVF), suggesting the reallocation of attention during vection. Moreover, VIMS susceptibility was negatively correlated with the effect sizes, suggesting that participants who were less susceptible to VIMS showed better performance in attention re-allocation. Finally, when trained to re-allocation attention from the CVF to the PVF, participants experienced more stable vection. Findings provide a better understanding of VIMS and shed light on possible preventive measures. Practitioner Summary: Allocating less visual attention to central visual field during visual motion stimulation is associated with stronger vection and higher resistance to motion sickness. Virtual reality application designers may utilise the location of visual tasks to strengthen and stabilise vection, while reducing the potential of visually induced motion sickness.