Molecular characterization of a novel fusarivirus infecting the plant-pathogenic fungus Alternaria solani

A novel mycovirus belonging to the proposed family "Fusariviridae" was discovered in Alternaria solani by sequencing a cDNA corresponding to double-stranded RNA extracted from this phytopathogenic fungus. The virus was tentatively named "Alternaria solani fusarivirus 1" (AsFV1). AsFV1 has a single-stranded positive-sense (+ssRNA) genome of 6845 nucleotides containing three open reading frames (ORFs) and a poly(A) tail. The largest ORF, ORF1, encodes a large polypeptide of 1,556 amino acids (aa) with conserved RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and helicase domains. The ORF2 and ORF3 have overlapping regions, encoding a putative protein of 522 amino acids (aa) and a putative protein of 105 amino acids (aa), respectively, both of unknown function. A multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis revealed that AsFV1 could be a new member of the "Fusariviridae". This is the first report of the full-length nucleotide sequence of a fusarivirus that infects Alternaria solani.