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A novel mitovirus associated with the fungal entomopathogen Zoophthora radicans

Summary

Researchers used advanced sequencing techniques to study viruses in wild pea aphids and discovered a new virus that infects a fungus that naturally kills aphids. By analyzing genetic material from field-collected aphids, they identified this virus is specifically associated with the fungus Zoophthora radicans. This discovery helps us better understand the hidden microbial world of natural insect populations and could potentially be useful for developing natural pest control methods.

Background

Metatranscriptome sequencing has emerged as a powerful tool for uncovering viral diversity in insects and their associated microbes. Mitoviruses are positive-sense single-stranded RNA viruses that typically replicate in mitochondria and are frequently associated with fungi, particularly entomopathogenic fungi.

Objective

To explore viral diversity linked to pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) using metatranscriptome sequencing and identify the host of a newly discovered mitovirus through 18S amplicon sequencing and PCR screening of field-collected samples.

Results

Metatranscriptome analysis revealed several viral genomes including a novel mitovirus species. 18S amplicon sequencing and PCR screening identified an association between the mitovirus and Zoophthora radicans, a generalist aphid fungal pathogen, with statistically significant correlation (Fisher’s exact test; p = 0.0058). The newly described virus was designated Zoophthora radicans mitovirus 1.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates the utility of metatranscriptomics in identifying novel virus-host associations and reveals previously unrecognized viral diversity within aphid-associated fungi. The findings emphasize the importance of molecular approaches for characterizing microbial communities in field-collected specimens and highlight the complex microbial interactions shaping aphid ecology.
  • Published in:PLoS One,
  • Study Type:Original Research,
  • Source: 10.1371/journal.pone.0331239
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