Molecular Characterization of Novel Mycoviruses in Seven <i>Umbelopsis</i> Strains
Tünde Kartali,
Nóra Zsindely,
Ildikó Nyilasi,
Orsolya Németh,
Gergő Norbert Sávai,
Sándor Kocsubé,
Zoltán Lipinszki,
Roland Patai,
Krisztina Spisák,
Gábor Nagy,
László Bodai,
Csaba Vágvölgyi,
Tamás Papp
Affiliations
Tünde Kartali
ELKH-SZTE Fungal Pathogenicity Mechanisms Research Group, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
Nóra Zsindely
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
Ildikó Nyilasi
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
Orsolya Németh
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
Gergő Norbert Sávai
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
Sándor Kocsubé
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
Zoltán Lipinszki
MTA SZBK Lendület Laboratory of Cell Cycle Regulation, Institute of Biochemistry, Biological Research Centre, Eötvös Loránd Research Network (ELKH), 6726 Szeged, Hungary
Roland Patai
Neuronal Plasticity Research Group, Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
Krisztina Spisák
Neuronal Plasticity Research Group, Institute of Biophysics, Biological Research Centre, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
Gábor Nagy
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
László Bodai
Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
Csaba Vágvölgyi
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science and Informatics, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
Tamás Papp
ELKH-SZTE Fungal Pathogenicity Mechanisms Research Group, University of Szeged, 6726 Szeged, Hungary
The presence of viruses is less explored in Mucoromycota as compared to other fungal groups such as Ascomycota and Basidiomycota. Recently, more and more mycoviruses are identified from the early-diverging lineages of fungi. We have determined the genome of 11 novel dsRNA viruses in seven different Umbelopsis strains with next-generation sequencing (NGS). The identified viruses were named Umbelopsis ramanniana virus 5 (UrV5), 6a (UrV6a); 6b (UrV6b); 7 (UrV7); 8a (UrV8a); 8b (UrV8b); Umbelopsis gibberispora virus 1 (UgV1); 2 (UgV2) and Umbelopsis dimorpha virus 1a (UdV1a), 1b (UdV1b) and 2 (UdV2). All the newly identified viruses contain two open reading frames (ORFs), which putatively encode the coat protein (CP) and the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), respectively. Based on the phylogeny inferred from the RdRp sequences, eight viruses (UrV7, UrV8a, UrV8b, UgV1, UgV2, UdV1a, UdV1b and UdV2) belong to the genus Totivirus, while UrV5, UrV6a and UrV6b are placed into a yet unclassified but well-defined Totiviridae-related group. In UrV5, UgV1, UgV2, UrV8b, UdV1a, UdV2 and UdV1b, ORF2 is predicted to be translated as a fusion protein via a rare +1 (or −2) ribosomal frameshift, which is not characteristic to most members of the Totivirus genus. Virus particles 31 to 32 nm in diameter could be detected in the examined fungal strains by transmission electron microscopy. Through the identification and characterization of new viruses of Mucoromycota fungi, we can gain insight into the diversity of mycoviruses, as well as into their phylogeny and genome organization.
