A hypovirulence-associated capsidless bi-segmented ssRNA mycovirus enhances melanin and microsclerotial production in a vascular phytopathogenic fungus.
Mycoviruses are increasingly recognized for their multifaceted roles in fungal ecology, because of advances in understanding of their biology and molecular features. In this research, we identified and characterized two capsidless, bi-segmented positive-sense RNA mycoviruses: Verticillium dahliae or...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | PLoS Pathogens |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013348 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849228255286001664 |
|---|---|
| author | Jiamin Gao Xuekun Zhang Jichun Jia Huang Huang Jiasen Cheng Yanping Fu Xueqiong Xiao Bo Li Tao Chen Xiao Yu Longfu Zhu Tom Hsiang Daohong Jiang Lili Zhang Jiatao Xie |
| author_facet | Jiamin Gao Xuekun Zhang Jichun Jia Huang Huang Jiasen Cheng Yanping Fu Xueqiong Xiao Bo Li Tao Chen Xiao Yu Longfu Zhu Tom Hsiang Daohong Jiang Lili Zhang Jiatao Xie |
| author_sort | Jiamin Gao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mycoviruses are increasingly recognized for their multifaceted roles in fungal ecology, because of advances in understanding of their biology and molecular features. In this research, we identified and characterized two capsidless, bi-segmented positive-sense RNA mycoviruses: Verticillium dahliae ormycovirus 1 (VdOMV1) and VdOMV2, both of which infect Verticillium dahliae, a fungal pathogen causing vascular wilt of cotton. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that VdOMV1 and VdOMV2 cluster within the ormycovirus group, an evolutionary lineage unique to Riboviria. VdOMV2 may significantly enhanced V. dahliae melanin production and microsclerotial formation through regulating melanin synthesis-associated genes. This mediated the conversion from production of hyphae to microsclerotia, and enhanced V. dahliae survival under adverse abiotic stress conditions. Furthermore, VdOMV2 boosted the penetration ability of hyphae through cellophane membranes, while inhibiting the proliferation of V. dahliae hyphae within plants, and negatively modulated genes related to pathogenicity, possibly conferring hypovirulence. Enhancements in penetration and survival not only increase the efficacy of hypovirulent strains in overcoming environmental challenges, but also highlight the potential of VdOMV2-infected strains for managing Verticillium wilt in agricultural settings, thus representing an alternative mycovirus-based biocontrol approach for vascular fungal diseases. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c8ee289c0b494e1ab8eb559a1d08d9de |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1553-7366 1553-7374 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Pathogens |
| spelling | doaj-art-c8ee289c0b494e1ab8eb559a1d08d9de2025-08-23T05:31:26ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Pathogens1553-73661553-73742025-08-01218e101334810.1371/journal.ppat.1013348A hypovirulence-associated capsidless bi-segmented ssRNA mycovirus enhances melanin and microsclerotial production in a vascular phytopathogenic fungus.Jiamin GaoXuekun ZhangJichun JiaHuang HuangJiasen ChengYanping FuXueqiong XiaoBo LiTao ChenXiao YuLongfu ZhuTom HsiangDaohong JiangLili ZhangJiatao XieMycoviruses are increasingly recognized for their multifaceted roles in fungal ecology, because of advances in understanding of their biology and molecular features. In this research, we identified and characterized two capsidless, bi-segmented positive-sense RNA mycoviruses: Verticillium dahliae ormycovirus 1 (VdOMV1) and VdOMV2, both of which infect Verticillium dahliae, a fungal pathogen causing vascular wilt of cotton. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that VdOMV1 and VdOMV2 cluster within the ormycovirus group, an evolutionary lineage unique to Riboviria. VdOMV2 may significantly enhanced V. dahliae melanin production and microsclerotial formation through regulating melanin synthesis-associated genes. This mediated the conversion from production of hyphae to microsclerotia, and enhanced V. dahliae survival under adverse abiotic stress conditions. Furthermore, VdOMV2 boosted the penetration ability of hyphae through cellophane membranes, while inhibiting the proliferation of V. dahliae hyphae within plants, and negatively modulated genes related to pathogenicity, possibly conferring hypovirulence. Enhancements in penetration and survival not only increase the efficacy of hypovirulent strains in overcoming environmental challenges, but also highlight the potential of VdOMV2-infected strains for managing Verticillium wilt in agricultural settings, thus representing an alternative mycovirus-based biocontrol approach for vascular fungal diseases.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013348 |
| spellingShingle | Jiamin Gao Xuekun Zhang Jichun Jia Huang Huang Jiasen Cheng Yanping Fu Xueqiong Xiao Bo Li Tao Chen Xiao Yu Longfu Zhu Tom Hsiang Daohong Jiang Lili Zhang Jiatao Xie A hypovirulence-associated capsidless bi-segmented ssRNA mycovirus enhances melanin and microsclerotial production in a vascular phytopathogenic fungus. PLoS Pathogens |
| title | A hypovirulence-associated capsidless bi-segmented ssRNA mycovirus enhances melanin and microsclerotial production in a vascular phytopathogenic fungus. |
| title_full | A hypovirulence-associated capsidless bi-segmented ssRNA mycovirus enhances melanin and microsclerotial production in a vascular phytopathogenic fungus. |
| title_fullStr | A hypovirulence-associated capsidless bi-segmented ssRNA mycovirus enhances melanin and microsclerotial production in a vascular phytopathogenic fungus. |
| title_full_unstemmed | A hypovirulence-associated capsidless bi-segmented ssRNA mycovirus enhances melanin and microsclerotial production in a vascular phytopathogenic fungus. |
| title_short | A hypovirulence-associated capsidless bi-segmented ssRNA mycovirus enhances melanin and microsclerotial production in a vascular phytopathogenic fungus. |
| title_sort | hypovirulence associated capsidless bi segmented ssrna mycovirus enhances melanin and microsclerotial production in a vascular phytopathogenic fungus |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1013348 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jiamingao ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT xuekunzhang ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT jichunjia ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT huanghuang ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT jiasencheng ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT yanpingfu ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT xueqiongxiao ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT boli ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT taochen ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT xiaoyu ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT longfuzhu ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT tomhsiang ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT daohongjiang ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT lilizhang ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT jiataoxie ahypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT jiamingao hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT xuekunzhang hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT jichunjia hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT huanghuang hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT jiasencheng hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT yanpingfu hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT xueqiongxiao hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT boli hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT taochen hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT xiaoyu hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT longfuzhu hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT tomhsiang hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT daohongjiang hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT lilizhang hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus AT jiataoxie hypovirulenceassociatedcapsidlessbisegmentedssrnamycovirusenhancesmelaninandmicrosclerotialproductioninavascularphytopathogenicfungus |