Hough, B.*, Wingfield, B. D., Shaw, P., Read, D. A.
Forestry & Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Department of Biochemistry, Genetics & Microbiology, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Mycoviruses (viruses of fungi) are widespread across the fungal kingdom, spanning a diverse range of taxonomic groups. Additionally, some of these viruses have shown potential in reducing fungal pathogenicity, making them promising candidates for biocontrol against plant pathogenic fungi. Despite their potential however, the diversity of mycoviruses remains largely unexplored within many fungal families and genera. This includes the genus Ceratocystis, which includes several economically significant plant pathogens. To address this gap, our study utilized transcriptomic datasets from various fungi from Ceratocystis, employing RNA sequencing and suitable bioinformatics methods. Through the analysis of both publicly available and newly generated data, we identified a total of 20 novel mycoviruses, from four viral families, across five fungal transcriptomes. Notably, this research represents the first identification of mycoviruses in Ceratocystis manginecans, C. platani, C. albifundus, and C. eucalypticola. Additionally, our study provides a comprehensive characterization of three endornaviruses previously found in C. fimbriata, offering detailed insights into their genome organization. This investigation not only advances our understanding of mycoviral diversity within this genus, but also lays the groundwork for future research on mycovirus-based biocontrol strategies against Ceratocystis.