Genome characterization of Botrytis virus F, a flexuous rod-shaped mycovirus resembling plant 'potex-like' viruses

This study reports the first sequence of a flexuous rod-shaped mycovirus and also the first molecular characterization of a virus that infects the plant-pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. The mycovirus Botrytis virus F (BVF) contains an ssRNA genome of 6827 nucleotides and a poly(A) tract at or ver...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of general virology 2001, Vol.82 (1), p.67-78
Main Authors: Howitt, R.L.J, Beever, R.E, Pearson, M.N, Forster, R.L.S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amino Acid Sequence
amino acids
Botrytis - virology
Botrytis cinerea
Botrytis virus F
Capsid - genetics
Cloning, Molecular
coat proteins
complementary DNA
computer analysis
genome
Genome, Viral
genomics
Molecular Sequence Data
mycoviruses
nucleotides
Open Reading Frames
Phylogeny
plant pathogenic fungi
plant proteins
replicase
RNA
RNA Replicase - genetics
RNA Viruses - classification
RNA Viruses - genetics
RNA-directed RNA polymerase
sequence analysis
start codon
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Summary:This study reports the first sequence of a flexuous rod-shaped mycovirus and also the first molecular characterization of a virus that infects the plant-pathogenic fungus Botrytis cinerea. The mycovirus Botrytis virus F (BVF) contains an ssRNA genome of 6827 nucleotides and a poly(A) tract at or very near the 3' terminus. Computer analysis of the genomic cDNA sequence of BVF revealed two potential open reading frames (ORFs) encoding proteins of 212 kDa (ORF1) and 32 kDa (ORF2). ORF1 showed significant sequence identity to the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp)-containing proteins of plant 'tymo-' and 'potex-like' viruses. However, the ORF1 protein contained an opal putative readthrough codon between the helicase and RdRp regions, a feature not seen in this position in 'tymo-' and 'potex-like' replicases sequenced to date. ORF2 shared amino acid similarity with coat proteins of plant 'potex-like' viruses. Three untranslated regions were present in the genome, comprising a region of 63 nucleotides preceding the initiation codon of ORF1, a 93 nucleotide stretch between ORFs 1 and 2 and a 3'-terminal region of 70 nucleotides preceding the poly(A) tract. The nucleotide sequence of a putative defective RNA (D-RNA) of 829 nucleotides was also determined. The D-RNA contained one potential ORF comprising the N-terminal region of the replicase fused in-frame to the C-terminal region of the coat protein. It is proposed that the mycovirus BVF belongs to a new, as yet unassigned genus in the plant 'potex-like' virus group.
ISSN:0022-1317
1465-2099
DOI:10.1099/0022-1317-82-1-67