A mycovirus enhances fitness of an insect pathogenic fungus and potentially modulates virulence through interactions between viral and host proteins
File(s)
Published version
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic ascomycete widely utilized in biological pest control. However, its effectiveness is often limited by low conidiation rates, sensitivity to environmental stresses, and delayed insecticidal activity. In this study, we identify and characterize a mycovirus, Beauveria bassiana polymycovirus 4–2 (BbPmV4-2), which markedly enhances the fitness and may modulate virulence of its fungal host. BbPmV4-2 comprises eight double-stranded RNA segments, among which three are unique and have not detected in related mycoviruses. Infection with BbPmV4-2 nearly doubles conidial yields and upregulates key conidiation-related genes, facilitating enhanced dispersal of both the host fungus and the mycovirus itself. Additionally, BbPmV4-2 infected strains exhibit increased tolerance to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and elevated temperatures, and may also exhibit increased virulence against the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella. The potentially increased virulence is attributed to increased conidial hydrophobicity, adhesion, and cuticle penetration capabilities. Functional analysis reveals that the viral open reading frame ORF5 plays a critical role in conferring hypervirulence and stress tolerance by interacting with host proteins BbGAP1, a GPI-anchored membrane protein, and BbSDU1, a deubiquitinating enzyme. These interactions elucidate a molecular mechanism by which a mycovirus that potentially influences host pathogenicity and enhances environmental adaptability. Our findings provide significant insights into mycovirus-host interactions and suggest potential strategies for optimizing biological pest control applications.
Editor(s)
Wang, Chengshu
Date Issued
2025-10-23
Date Acceptance
2025-10-14
Citation
PLoS Pathogens, 2025, 21 (10)
ISSN
1553-7366
Publisher
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Journal / Book Title
PLoS Pathogens
Volume
21
Issue
10
Copyright Statement
© 2025 Shi et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/41129597
PII: PPATHOGENS-D-25-01349
Publication Status
Published
Coverage Spatial
United States
Article Number
e1013634
Date Publish Online
2025-10-23