Molecular characterization of three mitoviruses co-infecting a hypovirulent isolate of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum fungus

Three double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) of 2438 nts (A), 2588 nts (B), and 2744 nts (C), from a single isolate of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were sequenced. All three sequences showed similarity to known mitoviruses, consisting of a single open reading frame (ORF) with the characteristic conserved motifs of RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). Mitochondrial malformations and reduced virulence and growth were associated with the presence of the dsRNAs. The terminal sequences of the (+) strand of the three dsRNAs could be folded into stem-loop structures and the inverted terminal complimentary sequences of dsRNA-A potentially form a panhandle structure. Sequence A showed 91.6% aa similarity to the previously described Sclerotinia sclerotiorum mitovirus 2 and was tentatively assigned the acronym SsMV2/NZ1. Sequences B and C showed only 16.4% similarity to each other and 15–48% aa similarity to the previously described mitoviruses and consequently appear to be new mitoviruses.

► Three mitoviruses were identified from an isolate of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. ► Their complete nucleotide sequences were determined and deposited in GenBank. ► Horizontal and vertical transmissions of the mitoviruses were studied. ► Mitoviral infection significantly reduced host in-vitro growth and virulence. ► Swollen and malformed mitochondria were associated with mitoviral infection.