Novel viroid-like RNAs naturally infect a filamentous fungus
File(s)
Author(s)
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
To date, viroids have been found to naturally infect only plants, resulting in substantial losses for some crops. Whether viroids or viroid-like RNAs naturally infect non-plant hosts remains unknown. Here the existence of a set of exogenous, single-stranded circular RNAs, ranging in size from 157 to 450 nucleotides, isolated from the fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea and nominated B. dothidea RNAs (BdcRNAs) is reported. BdcRNAs replicate autonomously in the nucleus via a rolling-circle mechanism following a symmetric pathway. BdcRNA infection induces symptoms, because BdcRNAs can apparently modulate, to different degrees, specific biological traits (e.g., alter morphology, decrease growth rate, attenuate virulence, and increase or decrease tolerance to osmotic and oxidative stress) of the host fungus. Overall, BdcRNAs have genome characteristics similar to those of viroids and exhibit pathogenic effects on fungal hosts. It is proposed that these novel fungus infecting RNAs should be termed mycoviroids. BdcRNA(s) may be considered additional inhabitants at the frontier of life in terms of genomic complexity, and represent a new class of acellular entities endowed with regulatory functions, and novel epigenomic carriers of biological information.
Date Issued
2023-01-25
Date Acceptance
2022-12-01
Citation
Advanced Science, 2023, 10 (3), pp.1-16
ISSN
2198-3844
Publisher
Wiley
Start Page
1
End Page
16
Journal / Book Title
Advanced Science
Volume
10
Issue
3
Copyright Statement
© 2022 The Authors. Advanced Science published by Wiley-VCH GmbH
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
License URL
Identifier
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000898103700001&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=a2bf6146997ec60c407a63945d4e92bb
Subjects
ASSOCIATION
Chemistry
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
CHRYSOVIRUS
circular RNA
fungus
HYBRIDIZATION
HYPOVIRULENCE
Materials Science
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
MOLECULAR CHARACTERIZATION
mycoviroid
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Physical Sciences
PHYTOPATHOGENIC FUNGUS
PLANT
REPLICATION
ROLLING-CIRCLE
SATELLITE RNAS
Science & Technology
Science & Technology - Other Topics
Technology
viroid
viroid-like
Publication Status
Published
Date Publish Online
2022-12-14