Widespread mitovirus sequences in plant genomes.

Jeremy A Bruenn,Pradeep Yerramsetty,Benjamin E Warner

doi:10.7717/peerj.876

Jeremy A Bruenn, Pradeep Yerramsetty + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.876

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Journal: PeerJ	Publication Date: Apr 9, 2015
Citations: 79	License type: cc-by

Affiliation: University at Buffalo, State University of New York

Abstract

The exploration of the evolution of RNA viruses has been aided recently by the discovery of copies of fragments or complete genomes of non-retroviral RNA viruses (Non-retroviral Endogenous RNA Viral Elements, or NERVEs) in many eukaryotic nuclear genomes. Among the most prominent NERVEs are partial copies of the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) of the mitoviruses in plant mitochondrial genomes. Mitoviruses are in the family Narnaviridae, which are the simplest viruses, encoding only a single protein (the RdRP) in their unencapsidated viral plus strand. Narnaviruses are known only in fungi, and the origin of plant mitochondrial mitovirus NERVEs appears to be horizontal transfer from plant pathogenic fungi. At least one mitochondrial mitovirus NERVE, but not its nuclear copy, is expressed.

Highlights

The Narnaviridae is one of three known RNA virus families in which the viral genome is not encapsidated in a protein coat
Mitovirus NERVEs in mitochondrial genomes The mitovirus NERVEs present in plants vary from nearly complete versions of the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) to remnants barely detectable in sequence searches (E values varying from 10−40 to 0.01)
We primarily limit our discussion to the mitovirus NERVEs present in completely sequenced mitochondrial genomes of plants, which currently derive from 90 different organisms

Summary

Introduction

The Narnaviridae is one of three known RNA virus families in which the viral genome is not encapsidated in a protein coat. The Narnaviridae (Esteban et al, 1994; Esteban, Rodriguez-Cousino & Esteban, 1992; Garcia-Cuellar et al, 1995; Hillman & Cai, 2013; Hong et al, 1998; Osaki et al, 2005; Rodriguez-Cousino, Esteban & Esteban, 1991; Rodriguez-Cousino & Esteban, 1992) and the Hypoviridae (Koonin et al, 1991) are presently known exclusively in fungi and the Endoviridae in plants (Fukuhara et al, 2006; Gibbs et al, 2000). All of the known Narnaviridae of plant pathogenic fungi are mitoviruses: unencapsidated plus strand RNA viruses infecting mitochondria (Hillman & Cai, 2013).

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