Molecular genetic variability of Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 associated with Cryphonectria parasitica in South Tyrol (northern Italy)
Issued Date
2024-01-01
Resource Type
eISSN
1664302X
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85187110233
Journal Title
Frontiers in Microbiology
Volume
15
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Frontiers in Microbiology Vol.15 (2024)
Suggested Citation
Ahmad F., Tomada S., Poonsiri T., Baric S. Molecular genetic variability of Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 associated with Cryphonectria parasitica in South Tyrol (northern Italy). Frontiers in Microbiology Vol.15 (2024). doi:10.3389/fmicb.2024.1291542 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/97632
Title
Molecular genetic variability of Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 associated with Cryphonectria parasitica in South Tyrol (northern Italy)
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Corresponding Author(s)
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Abstract
Cryphonectria hypovirus 1 (CHV-1) has been widely studied and used as a biocontrol agent because of its ability to infect the chestnut blight fungus, Cryphonectria parasitica, and to reduce its virulence. Knowledge about the hypovirus, its presence, and diversity is completely lacking in South Tyrol (northern Italy), which may obstruct biocontrol measures for chestnut blight based on CHV-1. This work aimed to study the occurrence of CHV-1 infecting C. parasitica in South Tyrol and to perform a genetic characterization of the hypovirus. In South Tyrol, CHV-1 was found to occur in 29.2% of the fungal isolates investigated, varying in frequency between different regions and chestnut stands. Twenty-three haplotypes based on partial cDNA (complementary DNA) sequences of open reading frame (ORF)-A and 30 haplotypes based on partial cDNA sequences of ORF-B were identified among 47 and 56 hypovirulent fungal isolates, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all the haplotypes belonged to the Italian subtype of CHV-1 and that they were closely related to the populations of Italy, Switzerland, Croatia and Slovenia. Evidence of recombination was not found in the sequences and point mutations were the main source of diversity. Overall, this study indicated that the prevalence of CHV-1 in South Tyrol is low compared to many other central and western European populations and determined a need to actively impose biocontrol measures. Using sequence analysis, we identified some variants of interest of CHV-1 that should be studied in detail for their potential use in biocontrol.