Novel Viroid-Like RNAs Naturally Infect a Filamentous Fungus.

ABSTRACT: To date, viroids have been found to naturally infect only plants, resulting in substantial losses for some crops. Whether viroids or viroid-like RNAs naturally infect non-plant hosts remains unknown. Here the existence of a set of exogenous, single-stranded circular RNAs, ranging in size from 157 to 450 nucleotides, isolated from the fungus Botryosphaeria dothidea and nominated B. dothidea RNAs (BdcRNAs) is reported. BdcRNAs replicate autonomously in the nucleus via a rolling-circle mechanism following a symmetric pathway. BdcRNA infection induces symptoms, because BdcRNAs can apparently modulate, to different degrees, specific biological traits (e.g., alter morphology, decrease growth rate, attenuate virulence, and increase or decrease tolerance to osmotic and oxidative stress) of the hos

SUBMITTER: Dong K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9875651 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature