Both yeast W double-stranded RNA and its single-stranded form 20S RNA are linear

Characterization of two novel mycoviruses from Penicillium digitatum and the related fungicide resistance analysis

Pathogenic fungi including Penicillium digitatum and Penicillium italicum are the main destructive pathogens in the citrus industry, causing great losses during postharvest process. To our knowledge, only one mycovirus from P. digitatum has been reported, and the prevalence of such mycoviruses against citrus postharvest pathogenic fungi and their genotyping were still under investigation. In the present study, we showed that 39 of 152 Penicillium isolates from main citrus-growing areas in China were infected with various mycoviruses belonging to polymycoviruses, Narna-like viruses, and families Totiviridae, Partitivirdae and Chrysoviridae. The next generation sequencing (NGS) towards virus genome library and the following molecular analysis revealed two novel mycoviruses Penicillium digitatum polymycovirus 1 (PdPmV1) and Penicillium digitatum Narna-like virus 1 (PdNLV1), coexisting in P. digitatum strain HS-RH2. The fungicide-resistant P. digitatum strains HS-F6 and HS-E9 coinfected by PdPmV1 and PdNLV1 exhibited obvious reduction in triazole drug prochloraz resistance by mycelial growth analysis on both PDA plates and citrus fruit epidermis with given prochloraz concentration. This report at the first time characterized two novel mycoviruses from P. digitatum and revealed the mycovirus-induced reduction of fungicide resistance.

The frenemies within: viruses, retrotransposons and plasmids that naturally infect Saccharomyces yeasts

Viruses are a major focus of current research efforts because of their detrimental impact on humanity and their ubiquity within the environment. Bacteriophages have long been used to study host-virus interactions within microbes, but it is often forgotten that the single-celled eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae and related species are infected with double-stranded RNA viruses, single-stranded RNA viruses, LTR-retrotransposons and double-stranded DNA plasmids. These intracellular nucleic acid elements have some similarities to higher eukaryotic viruses, i.e. yeast retrotransposons have an analogous lifecycle to retroviruses, the particle structure of yeast totiviruses resembles the capsid of reoviruses and segregation of yeast plasmids is analogous to segregation strategies used by viral episomes. The powerful experimental tools available to study the genetics, cell biology and evolution of S. cerevisiae are well suited to further our understanding of how cellular processes are hijacked by eukaryotic viruses, retrotransposons and plasmids. This article has been written to briefly introduce viruses, retrotransposons and plasmids that infect Saccharomyces yeasts, emphasize some important cellular proteins and machineries with which they interact, and suggest the evolutionary consequences of these interactions. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Widespread mitovirus sequences in plant genomes

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.

Viruses and prions of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been a key experimental organism for the study of infectious diseases, including dsRNA viruses, ssRNA viruses, and prions. Studies of the mechanisms of virus and prion replication, virus structure, and structure of the amyloid filaments that are the basis of yeast prions have been at the forefront of such studies in these classes of infectious entities. Yeast has been particularly useful in defining the interactions of the infectious elements with cellular components: chromosomally encoded proteins necessary for blocking the propagation of the viruses and prions, and proteins involved in the expression of viral components. Here, we emphasize the L-A dsRNA virus and its killer-toxin-encoding satellites, the 20S and 23S ssRNA naked viruses, and the several infectious proteins (prions) of yeast.

Launching of the yeast 20 s RNA narnavirus by expressing the genomic or antigenomic viral RNA in vivo

20 S RNA virus is a persistent positive strand RNA virus found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The viral genome encodes only its RNA polymerase, p91, and resides in the cytoplasm in the form of a ribonucleoprotein complex with p91. We succeeded in generating 20 S RNA virus in vivo by expressing, from a vector, genomic strands fused at the 3'-ends to the hepatitis delta virus antigenomic ribozyme. Using this launching system, we analyzed 3'-cis-signals present in the genomic strand for replication. The viral genome has five-nucleotide inverted repeats at both termini (5'-GGGGC... GCCCC-OH). The fifth G from the 3'-end was dispensable for replication, whereas the third and fourth Cs were essential. The 3'-terminal and penultimate Cs could be eliminated or modified to other nucleotides; however, the generated viruses recovered these terminal Cs. Furthermore, extra nucleotides added at the viral 3'-end were eliminated in the launched viruses. Therefore, 20 S RNA virus has a mechanism(s) to maintain the correct size and sequence of the viral 3'-end. This may contribute to its persistent infection in yeast. We also succeeded in generating 20 S RNA virus similarly from antigenomic strands provided active p91 was supplied from a second vector in trans. Again, a cluster of four Cs at the 3'-end in the antigenomic strand was essential for replication. In this work, we also present the first conclusive evidence that 20 S and 23 S RNA viruses are independent replicons.

Bipartite 3'-cis-acting signal for replication in yeast 23 S RNA virus and its repair

23 S RNA narnavirus is a persistent positive strand RNA virus found in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The viral genome is small (2.9 kb) and only encodes its RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. Recently, we have succeeded in generating 23 S RNA virus from an expression vector containing the entire viral cDNA sequence. Using this in vivo launching system, we analyzed the 3'-cis-acting signals for replication. The 3'-non-coding region of 23 S RNA contains two cis-elements. One is a stretch of 4 Cs at the 3' end, and the other is a mismatched pair in a stem-loop structure that partially overlaps the terminal 4 Cs. In the latter element, the loop or stem sequence is not important but the stem structure with the mismatch pair is essential. The mismatched bases should be purines. Any combination of purines at the mismatch pair bestowed capability of replication on the RNA, whereas converting it to a single bulge at either side of the stem abolished the activity. The terminal and penultimate Cs at the 3' end could be eliminated or modified to other nucleotides in the launching plasmid without affecting virus generation. However, the viruses generated regained or restored these Cs at the 3' terminus. Considering the importance of the viral 3' ends in RNA replication, these results suggest that this 3' end repair may contribute to the persistence of 23 S RNA virus in yeast by maintaining the genomic RNA termini intact. We discuss possible mechanisms for this 3' end repair in vivo.

Occurrence of 20S RNA and 23S RNA replicons in industrial yeast strains and their variation under nutritional stress conditions

We have characterized industrial yeast strains used in the brewing, baking, and winemaking industries for the presence or absence of cytoplasmic single-stranded 20S and 23S RNAs. Furthermore, the variation of intracellular concentrations of these replicons in brewing and laboratory strains under nutritional stress conditions was determined. Our results show a correlation between the relative abundance of these replicons and exposure of yeast to nutritionally stressful conditions, indicating that these RNAs could be employed as molecular probes to evaluate the exposure of 20S(+) and/or 23S(+) yeast strains to stress situations during industrial manipulation. During this study, several 20S(-)23S(+) Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains were isolated and identified. This is the first time that a yeast strain containing only 23S RNA has been reported, demonstrating that 20S RNA is not required for 23S RNA replication.

Recognition of RNA encapsidation signal by the yeast L-A double-stranded RNA virus

The encapsidation signal of the yeast L-A virus contains a 24-nucleotide stem-loop structure with a 5-nucleotide loop and an A bulged at the 5' side of the stem. The Pol part of the Gag-Pol fusion protein is responsible for encapsidation of viral RNA. Opened empty viral particles containing Gag-Pol specifically bind to this encapsidation signal in vitro. We found that binding to empty particles protected the bulged A and the flanking-two nucleotides from cleavage by Fe(II)-EDTA-generated hydroxyl radicals. The five nucleotides of the loop sequence ((4190)GAUCC(4194)) were not protected. However, T1 RNase protection and in vitro mutagenesis experiments indicated that G(4190) is essential for binding. Although the sequence of the other four nucleotides of the loop is not essential, data from RNase protection and chemical modification experiments suggested that C(4194) was also directly involved in binding to empty particles rather than indirectly through its potential base pairing with G(4190). These results suggest that the Pol domain of Gag-Pol contacts the encapsidation signal at two sites: one, the bulged A, and the other, G and C bases at the opening of the loop. These two sites are conserved in the encapsidation signal of M1, a satellite RNA of the L-A virus.

Persistent yeast single-stranded RNA viruses exist in vivo as genomic RNA.RNA polymerase complexes in 1:1 stoichiometry

Yeast narnavirus 20 S and 23 S RNAs encode RNA-dependent RNA polymerases p91 and p104, respectively, but do not encode coat proteins. Both RNAs form ribonucleoprotein complexes with their cognate polymerases. Here we show that these complexes are not localized in mitochondria, unlike the closely related mitoviruses, which reside in these organelles. Cytoplasmic localization of these polymerases was demonstrated by immunofluorescence and by fluorescence emitted from green fluorescent protein-fused polymerases. These fusion proteins were able to form ribonucleoprotein complexes as did the wild-type polymerases. Fluorescent observations and cell fractionation experiments suggested that the polymerases were stabilized by complex formation with their viral RNA genomes. Immunoprecipitation experiments with anti-green fluorescent protein antibodies demonstrated that a single polymerase molecule binds to a single viral RNA genome in the complex. Moreover, the majority (if not all) of 20 S and 23 S RNA molecules were found to form complexes with their cognate RNA polymerases. Since these viral RNAs were not encapsidated, ribonucleoprotein complex formation with their cognate RNA polymerases appears to be their strategy to survive in the host as persistent viruses.

Yeast positive-stranded virus-like RNA replicons. 20 S and 23 S RNA terminal nucleotide sequences and 3' end secondary structures resemble those of RNA coliphages

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains carry single-stranded RNAs called 20 S RNA and 23 S RNA. These RNAs and their double-stranded counterparts, W and T dsRNAs, have been cloned and sequenced. A few nucleotides at both ends, however, remained unknown. These RNAs do not encode coat proteins but their own RNA-dependent RNA polymerases that share a high degree of conservation to each other. The polymerases are also similar to the replicases of RNA coliphages, such as Qbeta. Here we have determined the nucleotide sequences of W and T dsRNAs at both ends using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction-generated cDNA clones. We confirmed the terminal sequences by primer-extension and RNase protection experiments. Furthermore, these analyses demonstrated that W and T dsRNAs and their single-stranded RNA counterparts (i) are linear molecules, (ii) have identical nucleotide sequences at their ends, and (iii) have no poly(A) tails at their 3' ends. Both 20 S and 23 S RNAs have GGGGC at the 5' ends and the complementary 5-nucleotides sequence, GCCCC-OH, at their 3' ends. S1 and V1 secondary structure-mapping of the 3' ends of 20 S and 23 S RNAs shows the presence of a stem-loop structure that partially overlaps with the conserved 3' end sequence. Nucleotide sequences and stem-loop structures similar to those described here have been found at the 3' ends of RNA coliphages. These data, together with the similarity of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerases encoded among these RNAs and RNA coliphages, suggest that 20 S and 23 S RNAs are plus-strand single-stranded virus-like RNA replicons in yeast.

RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity associated with the yeast viral p91/20S RNA ribonucleoprotein complex

20S RNA is a noninfectious viral single-stranded RNA found in most laboratory strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. 20S RNA encodes a protein of 91 kDa (p91) that contains the common motifs found among RNA-dependent RNA polymerases from RNA viruses. p91 and 20S RNA are noncovalently associated in vivo, forming a ribonucleoprotein complex. We detected an RNA polymerase activity in p91/20S RNA complexes isolated by high-speed centrifugation. The activity was not inhibited by actinomycin D nor alpha-amanitin. The majority of the in vitro products was 20S RNA and the rest was the complementary strands of 20S RNA. Because the extracts were prepared from cells accumulating 20S RNA over its complementary strands, these in vitro products reflect the corresponding activities in vivo. When the p91/20S RNA complexes were subjected to sucrose gradient centrifugation, the polymerase activity cosedimented with the complexes. Furthermore, an RNA polymerase activity was detected in the complex by an antibody-linked polymerase assay using anti-p91 antiserum, suggesting that p91 is present in the active RNA polymerase machinery. These results together indicate that p91 is the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase or a subunit thereof responsible for 20S RNA replication.

RNA-dependent RNA polymerase activity related to the 20S RNA replicon of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains two double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) viruses (L-A and L-BC) and two different single-stranded (ssRNA) replicons (20S RNA and 23S RNA). Replicase (dsRNA synthesis on a ssRNA template) and transcriptase (ssRNA synthesis on a dsRNA template) activities have been described for L-A and L-BC viruses, but not for 20S or 23S RNA. We report the characterization of a new in vitro RNA replicase activity in S. cerevisiae. This activity is detected after partial purification of a particulate fraction in CsCl gradients where it migrates at the density of free protein. The activity does not require the presence of L-A or L-BC viruses or 23S RNA, and its presence or absence is correlated with the presence or absence of the 20S RNA replicon. Strains lacking both this RNA polymerase activity and 20S RNA acquire this activity when they acquire 20S RNA by cytoduction (cytoplasmic mixing). This polymerase activity converts added ssRNA to dsRNA by synthesis of the complementary strand, but has no specificity for the 3' end or internal template sequence. Although it replicates all tested RNA templates, it has a template size requirement, being unable to replicate templates larger than 1 kb. The replicase makes dsRNA from a ssRNA template, but many single-stranded products due to a terminal transferase activity are also formed. These results suggest that, in contrast to the L-A and L-BC RNA polymerases, dissociation of 20S RNA polymerase from its RNA (or perhaps some cellular factor) makes the enzyme change its specificity.

Yeast viral 20 S RNA is associated with its cognate RNA-dependent RNA polymerase

Most Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains carry in their cytoplasm 20 S RNA, a linear single-stranded RNA molecule of 2.5 kilobases in size. 20 S RNA copy number is greatly induced in stress conditions such as starvation, with up to 100,000 copies per cell. 20 S RNA has coding capacity for a protein of 91 kDa (p91) with sequences diagnostic of RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of (+) strand and double-stranded RNA viruses. We detected p91 in 20 S RNA-carrying strains with specific antisera. The amount of p91 in growing cells is higher than that of stationary cells and similar to the one in 20 S RNA-induced cells. Although 20 S RNA is not encapsidated into viral particles, p91 non-covalently forms a ribonucleoprotein complex with 20 S RNA. This suggests a role of p91 in the RNA to RNA synthesis processes required for 20 S RNA replication. Although the strain analyzed also harbors 23 S RNA, a closely related single-stranded RNA, 23 S RNA is not associated with p91 but with its putative RNA polymerase, p104. Similarly, 20 S RNA is not associated with p104 but with p91. These results suggest that 20 S RNA and 23 S RNA replicate independently using their respective cognate RNA polymerases.

Vesicle-associated double-stranded ribonucleic acid genetic elements in Agaricus bisporus

Double-stranded ribonucleic acids (dsRNAs) were isolated from fruit bodies of commercial strains of the cultivated mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) by polyethylene glycol-NaCl precipitation, differential centrifugation, rate-zonal centrifugation in sucrose, and equilibrium centrifugation in cesium sulphate. In all seven of the mushroom isolates examined, three dsRNAs were identified: two major dsRNA segments of > 13.1-kb (L-RNA) and 2.4-kb (S-RNA) and a minor segment of 5.2-kb (M-RNA). L-, M-, and S-RNAs co-purified with spherical fungal vesicles measuring approximately 75 nm in diameter. The three dsRNAs were intimately associated with the vesicles as suggested by their lower buoyant density in cesium sulphate (1.27 g/cc) compared to that of phenol-extracted dsRNAs (1.42 g/cc) and by their resistance to hydrolysis by ribonuclease at low ionic strength. Using a variety of conditions during purification, no virus-like particles were found to be associated with the dsRNAs. In Northern analysis, L-, M-, and S-RNAs failed to cross-hybridize with the genomic dsRNAs of La France isometric virus. We report here the first description of non-encapsidated, vesicle-associated, dsRNA genetic elements in the common cultivated mushroom.