Geographic distribution and sequence diversity of the mycovirus Botrytis virus F

Abstract

Mycoviruses are obligate species that are found throughout all subdivisions of the fungal kingdom, with more constantly being discovered. However, only limited information is available about their mode of transmission and distribution. This research describes the distribution and sequence diversity of the Botrytis virus F (BotV-F) mycovirus from a survey of 84 Botrytis cinerea isolates collected from New Zealand and around the world. Using an RT-PCR approach, 12 BotV-F positive isolates were discovered, but there was no correlation to either plant host or geographic region from which the fungus was isolated. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis of BotV-F sequences suggest that this mycovirus has had a long association with B. cinerea, and has been co-distributed worldwide as B. cinerea has spread. In addition, these results suggest that the B. cinerea vegetative incompatibility mechanism may not completely prevent transmission of mycoviruses like BotV-F between fungal isolates from different compatibility groups. The potential utility of mycovirus sequence analysis to studies of fungal populations is discussed.