title: Molecular Characterization of a Novel Putative Partitivirus Infecting Cytospora sacchari, a Plant Pathogenic Fungus.
abstract: Three double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs), approximately 1.85, 1.65 and 1.27 kb in size, were detected in an isolate of Cytospora sacchari from Iran. Partial nucleotide sequence revealed a 1,284 bp segment containing one ORF that potentially encodes a 405 aa protein. This protein contains conserved motifs related to RNA dependent RNA polymerases (RdRp) that showed similarity to RdRps of partitiviruses. The results indicate that these dsRNAs represent a novel Partitivirus that we tentatively designate Cytospora sacchari partitivirus (CsPV). Treatment of the fungal strain by cyclohexamide and also hyphal tip culture had no effect on removing the putative virus. Phylogenetic analysis of putative RdRp of CsPV and other partitiviruses places CsPV as a member of the genus Partitivirus in the family Partitiviridae, and clustering with Aspergillus ochraceous virus 1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Engineering, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Mahtab
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peyambari
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Engineering, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Mina Koohi
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Habibi
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Engineering, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Khalil-Berdi
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Fotouhifar
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Engineering, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.
authors.forename: Akbar
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dizadji
authors.affiliation: The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Millennium Science Complex, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
authors.forename: Marilyn J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Roossinck
keywords: Cytospora; mycovirus; partitivirus; virus evolution