title: Using a Novel Partitivirus in Pseudogymnoascus destructans to Understand the Epidemiology of White-Nose Syndrome.
abstract: White-nose syndrome is one of the most lethal wildlife diseases, killing over 5 million North American bats since it was first reported in 2006. The causal agent of the disease is a psychrophilic filamentous fungus, Pseudogymnoascus destructans. The fungus is widely distributed in North America and Europe and has recently been found in some parts of Asia, but interestingly, no mass mortality is observed in European or Asian bats. Here we report a novel double-stranded RNA virus found in North American isolates of the fungus and show that the virus can be used as a tool to study the epidemiology of White-nose syndrome. The virus, termed Pseudogymnoascus destructans partitivirus-pa, contains 2 genomic segments, dsRNA 1 and dsRNA 2 of 1.76 kbp and 1.59 kbp respectively, each possessing a single open reading frame, and forms isometric particles approximately 30 nm in diameter, characteristic of the genus Gammapartitivirus in the family Partitiviridae. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the virus is closely related to Penicillium stoloniferum virus S. We were able to cure P. destructans of the virus by treating fungal cultures with polyethylene glycol. Examination of 62 isolates of P. destructans including 35 from United States, 10 from Canada and 17 from Europe showed virus infection only in North American isolates of the fungus. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis using nucleotide sequences of the viral coat protein geographically clustered North American isolates indicating fungal spread followed by local adaptation of P. destructans in different regions of the United States and Canada. This is the first demonstration that a mycovirus potentially can be used to study fungal disease epidemiology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Vaskar
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9668-2717
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Thapa
authors.affiliation: Pennsylvania Game Commission, Harrisburg, PA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Gregory G
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5022-9554
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2609-4036
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hafenstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania, Lock Haven, PA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Barrie E
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7325-6176
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Overton
authors.affiliation: New Brunswick Museum, Saint John, NB, Canada.
authors.forename: Karen J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Vanderwolf
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America.
authors.forename: Marilyn J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1743-0627
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Roossinck
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002685:Chiroptera / Q000821:virology*; D000067148:Fungal Viruses / Q000235:genetics*; D009181:Mycoses / Q000662:veterinary*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012328:RNA Viruses / Q000235:genetics*; D013577:Syndrome