Co-infection of a novel fusagravirus and a partitivirus in a Korean isolate of Rosellinia necatrix KACC40168

We report here the presence of dsRNA mycoviruses in a Korean isolate of Rosellinia necatrix. A multiple band pattern of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) from R. necatrix suggested mixed mycovirus infection. Next-generation sequencing analysis of purified dsRNAs indicated the presence of two dsRNA mycoviruses related to the members of families “Fusagraviridae” (proposed) and Partitiviridae. The first dsRNA virus revealed that the complete genome sequence was 8868 bp in size and contained two large open reading frames (ORFs 1 and 2), overlapped by 22 bp containing a canonical (− 1) slippery heptanucelotide sequence of UUUAAAC. The deduced amino acid sequence of ORF1 and ORF2 showed highest similarity to the hypothetical protein and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of Rosellinia necatrix fusagravirus 3 (RnFGV3). Phylogenetic analysis showed that this dsRNA virus clustered with RnFGV3 and other fusagraviruses. Gene organization, sequence similarity, and phylogenetic analysis indicate that this virus seems to belong to a novel species of “Fusagraviridae”, which we have named Rosellinia necatrix fusagravirus 4. The second virus has two dsRNA segments with sizes of 1907 bp and 1918 bp, each of which encoded a single ORF showing highest similarity to the RdRp and capsid protein of known members of Partitiviridae. Evaluation of genome structure, sequence similarity, and phylogeny indicate this to be a new member of the genus Alphapartitivirus in the family Partitiviridae, hereafter designated as Rosellinia necatrix partitivirus 26. This is the first report of the presence of a fusagravirus in an Asian R. necatrix isolate and of its mixed infection with a partitivirus.