The PoV mycovirus affects extracellular enzyme expression and fruiting body yield in the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus

Isogenic virus-cured and virus-infected fungal strains were previously obtained and compared to investigate mycoviral diseases and, specifically, the influence of viral infection on the vegetative growth of Pleurotus ostreatus. The present study demonstrated that infection with mycovirus PoV-ASI2792 (PoV) caused phenotypic and physiological changes in fungal cells and mycelia. The microscopically determined growth rate of the virus-infected strain was lower than that of the virus-cured strain, due to the conglomerate phenomenon during the mycelial growth process. An exploration of the viral effects of PoV on fruiting bodies yield showed significantly lower than that on virus-cured P. ostreatus. A colorimetric assay of polyphenol oxidase activity in the strains showed very weak activity in the virus-infected strain. To estimate the activity levels of enzymes related to the growth and fruiting body formation, the relative expression levels of genes encoding various extracellular enzymes such as Carbohydrate-Active Enzymes (CAZymes) were measured by quantitative RT-PCR. The expression levels of the assayed genes were significantly lower in virus-infected than in virus-cured P. ostreatus. Together, these results indicate that PoV infection affects the spawn growth and fruiting body formation of P. ostreatus via decreased expression and activity of some extracellular enzymes including lignocellulolytic enzymes.