A novel botybirnavirus with a unique satellite dsRNA causes latent infection in Didymella theifolia isolated from tea plants
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
The unique, recently discovered fungus Didymella theifolia specifically infects local varieties of tea plant Camellia sinensis in China, and therefore, the characterization of its mycoviruses is important. Three double-stranded (ds) RNAs (1, 2, and 3, with 6,338, 5,910, and 727 bp in size, respectively) were identified in the avirulent D. theifolia strain CJP4-1, which exhibits normal growth and morphology. Characterization of these double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) revealed that the two largest elements are the genomic components of a novel botybirnavirus, tentatively named Didymella theifolia botybirnavirus 1 (DtBRV1). Conversely, dsRNA3 shares no detectable similarity with sequences deposited in public databases but has high similarity with the 5′-terminal regions of dsRNAs 1 and 2 and contains a duplicated region encoding a putative small peptide. All three dsRNAs are encapsidated in isometric virions ca. 40 nm in diameter, supporting the notion that dsRNA3 is a DtBRV1 satellite. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in combination with peptide mass fingerprint analysis revealed that the DtBRV1 capsid protein consists of polypeptides encoded by the 5′-terminal regions of both genomic components dsRNA1 and dsRNA2. Vertical transmission of DtBRV1 through conidia is efficient, while its horizontal transmission from CJP4-1 to other strains was not detected. DtBRV1, with or without dsRNA3, has no obvious effects on fungal growth and virulence, as illustrated following transfection of the virulent D. theifolia strain JYC1-6. In summary, DtBRV1 exhibits unique molecular traits and contributes to our understanding of mycovirus diversity.
Date Issued
2023-12-12
Date Acceptance
2023-10-02
Citation
Microbiology Spectrum, 2023, 11 (6)
ISSN
2165-0497
Publisher
American Society for Microbiology
Journal / Book Title
Microbiology Spectrum
Volume
11
Issue
6
Copyright Statement
© 2023 Ye et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/37962342
Subjects
Ascomycota
Camellia sinensis
Genome, Viral
Latent Infection
Phylogeny
RNA Viruses
RNA, Double-Stranded
Tea
botybirnavirus
Camellia sinensis
Didymella theifolia
Didymella theifolia botybirnavirus 1
mycovirus
satellite dsRNA
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Article Number
e00033-23
Date Publish Online
2023-11-14