Open AccessDouble-stranded RNA viruses infecting Epichloe festucae
Author(s) -
Miriam Gloria Suazo Romo,
A. Leuchtmann,
B. GarcÃa,
Íñigo Zabalgogeazcoa
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
grassland research and practice series
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2463-4751
pISSN - 0110-8581
DOI - 10.33584/rps.13.2006.3059
Subject(s) - biology , mycovirus , virology , genome , epichloë , virus , rna silencing , rna , ascospore , genetics , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , rna polymerase , rna interference , bacteria , spore , symbiosis
Some isolates of Epichloë festucae are asymptomatically infected by Epichloë festucae virus 1 (EfV1), a member of the family Totiviridae. This virus has a genome composed by a 5109 bp molecule of double stranded RNA (dsRNA). In addition, a 3 kbp dsRNA molecule which could be the genome of another virus (EfV2) was frequently found in isolates of the fungal endophyte. In a survey of two populations of E. festucae it was found that 73% of the isolates were infected by one or both viruses. Although both viruses are very efficiently transmitted to conidia, a barrier to virus transmission occurs during ascospore formation. Keywords: Epichloë festucae, virus, dsRNA, Totivirus