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Construction and Characterization of a Botrytis Virus F Infectious Clone

Summary

This research developed a new tool to study a virus that infects the fungus Botrytis cinerea, which causes gray mold disease in many crops. The scientists created an artificial copy of the virus that can infect and reproduce in the fungus, allowing them to better understand how the virus works and potentially use it to control plant diseases. Impacts on everyday life: – Could lead to better methods for protecting crops from fungal diseases – May reduce the need for chemical fungicides in agriculture – Could help develop more sustainable crop protection strategies – May lead to lower food costs by reducing crop losses – Could improve food security by protecting important food crops

Background

Mycoviruses infect many fungal species including plant pathogens, but most lack an extracellular route for infection and are transmitted through hyphal anastomosis. While most cause latent infections, some can attenuate fungal pathogenesis. Botrytis virus F (BVF) is a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA virus that infects the plant pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea.

Objective

To construct and characterize the first infectious clone of Botrytis virus F (BVF), determine its genome sequence, and analyze its effects on fungal growth and virulence. The study aimed to develop a tool for understanding BVF infection mechanisms and fungal-virus interactions.

Results

The BVF-V448 genome was 6827 nucleotides long with two open reading frames encoding an RNA dependent RNA polymerase and coat protein. A previously undetected subgenomic RNA species was identified, indicating coat protein expression via 3′ coterminal subgenomic RNAs. The infectious clone successfully transfected both B. cinerea strains. Growth rates were comparable between infected and uninfected strains. Virulence was unchanged in B05.10 but decreased in Pi258.9 on pepper leaves.

Conclusion

The study successfully developed the first infectious clone of BVF and demonstrated its ability to replicate in B. cinerea. The clone showed either asymptomatic infection or decreased virulence depending on the fungal strain. This provides an important tool for studying BVF infection mechanisms and developing viral vectors for gene silencing in B. cinerea.
  • Published in:Journal of Fungi,
  • Study Type:Laboratory Research,
  • Source: 10.3390/jof8050459
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