Molecular characterization and transcriptomic analysis of a novel polymycovirus in the fungus Talaromyces amestolkiae

Area of Science:

• Mycology
• Virology
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Talaromyces amestolkiae is a ubiquitous fungus found in diverse environments.
• Polymycoviruses are known to infect various fungal species.
• Understanding fungal-viral interactions is crucial for comprehending fungal biology and gene regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and characterize a novel polymycovirus infecting Talaromyces amestolkiae.
• To investigate the effects of this polymycovirus infection on fungal phenotypes and gene expression.
• To elucidate the mechanisms of fungal gene regulation by polymycovirus infections.

Main Methods:

• Identification and sequencing of a novel six-segmented polymycovirus, TaPmV-1.
• Comparative analysis of viral protein sequences with known polymycoviruses.
• Phenotypic comparison between virus-infected and virus-cured fungal strains.
• Transcriptomic analysis to assess gene expression changes upon viral infection.

Main Results:

• A novel six-segmented polymycovirus, TaPmV-1, was discovered in Talaromyces amestolkiae.
• TaPmV-1 infection was associated with reduced red pigment production and induced sclerotia clustering.
• Transcriptomic analysis revealed downregulation of metabolic transcripts in infected strains, correlating with observed phenotypic changes.
• Proteins encoded by dsRNA1, dsRNA3, and dsRNA5 showed homology to known viral proteins like RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.

Conclusions:

• This study reports the first novel polymycovirus of Talaromyces amestolkiae, TaPmV-1.
• TaPmV-1 infection influences fungal pigment production and sclerotia formation.
• The findings provide new insights into fungal gene regulation at the transcriptome level mediated by polymycovirus infections.