Two Novel Rhabdoviruses Related to Hypervirulence in a Phytopathogenic Fungus
Yangyi Li, Ruiling Lyu, Du Hai, Jichun Jia, Dàohóng Jiāng, Yànpíng Fù, Jiāsēn Chéng, Yang Lin, Jiǎtāo Xiè
Abstract
Mycoviruses have been attracting an increasing amount of attention due to their impact on important medical, agricultural, and industrial fungi. Rhabdoviruses are prevalent across a wide spectrum of hosts, from plants to invertebrates and vertebrates. This study molecularly characterized two novel rhabdoviruses from four Rhizoctonia solani strains, based on their genomic structures, transcription strategy, phylogenetic relationships, and biological impact on their host. Our study makes a significant contribution to the literature because it not only enriches the mycovirus database but also expands the known host range of rhabdoviruses. It also offers insight into the evolutionary linkage between animal viruses and mycoviruses and the transmission of viruses from one host to another. Our study will also help expand the contemporary knowledge of the classification of rhabdoviruses, as well as providing a new model to study rhabdovirus-host interactions, which will benefit the agriculture and medical areas of human welfare.