A novel betapartitivirus RnPV6 from Rosellinia necatrix tolerates host RNA silencing but is interfered by its defective RNAs

•A novel betapartitivirus from Rosellinia necatrix (RnPV6) was characterized.•RnPV6 showed asymptomatic infection in the natural host.•RnPV6 induced severe symptoms in an experimental host, Cryphonectria parasitica.•Diverse dsRNA1-derived DI-RNAs were generated in C. parasitica.•DI-RNAs impaired RnPV6 replication, while RnPV6 tolerated host RNA silencing.

The family Partitiviridae comprises of five genera with bi-segmented dsRNA genomes that accommodate members infecting plants, fungi or protists. All partitiviruses with only a few exceptions cause asymptomatic infections. We report the characterization of a novel betapartitivirus termed Rosellinia necatrix partitivirus 6 (RnPV6) from a field isolate of a plant pathogenic fungus, white root rot fungus. RnPV6 has typical partitivirus features: dsRNA1 and dsRNA2 are 2462 and 2499 bps in length encoding RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and capsid protein. Purified particles are spherical with a diameter of 30 nm. Taking advantage of infectivity as virions, RnPV6 was introduced into a model filamentous fungal host, chestnut blight fungus to investigate virus/host interactions. Unlike other partitiviruses tested previously, RnPV6 induced profound phenotypic alterations with symptoms characterized by a reduced growth rate and enhanced pigmentation and was tolerant to host RNA silencing. In addition, a variety of defective RNAs derived from dsRNA1 appear after virion transfection. These sub-viral RNAs were shown to interfere with RnPV6 replication, at least for that of cognate segment dsRNA1. Presence of these sub-viral elements resulted in reduced symptom expression by RnPV6, suggesting their nature as defective-interfering RNAs. The features of RnPV6 are similar to but distinct from those of a previously reported alphapartitivirus, Rosellinia necatrix partitivirus 2 that is susceptible to RNA silencing.