An extensive screening survey was conducted on Pakistani filamentous fungal isolates for the identification of viral infections. A total of 396 fungal samples were screened, of which 36 isolates were found double-stranded (ds) RNA positive with an overall frequency of 9% when analysed by a classical dsRNA isolation method. One of 36 dsRNA-positive strains, strain SP1 of a plant pathogenic fungus Fusarium mangiferae, was subjected to virome analysis. Next-generation sequencing and subsequent completion of the entire genome sequencing by a classical Sanger sequencing method showed the SP1 strain to be co-infected by 11 distinct viruses, at least seven of which should be described as new taxa at the species level according to the ICTV (International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses) species demarcation criteria. The newly identified F. mangiferae viruses (FmVs) include two partitivirids, one betapartitivirus (FmPV1) and one gammapartitivirus (FmPV2); six mitovirids, three unuamitovirus (FmMV2, FmMV4, FmMV6), one duamitovirus (FmMV5), and two unclassified mitovirids (FmMV1, FmMV3); and three botourmiavirids, two magoulivirus (FmBOV1, FmBOV3) and one scleroulivirus (FmBOV2). The number of coinfecting viruses is among the largest ones of fungal coinfections. Their molecular features are thoroughly described here. This represents the first large virus survey in the Indian sub-continent.
Keywords: Fusarium mangiferae; mitovirus; mycovirus; next-generation sequencing; ourmiavirus; partitivirus; screening.