A Novel Victorivirus Is Infectious as Virions and Targeted by RNA Silencing

July 29, 2013

Researchers in the Okayama University Institute of Plant and Resources have isolated a novel victorivirus, termed Rosellinia necatrix victorivirus 1 (RnVV1), from a plant pathogenic ascomycete, white root rot fungus Rosellinia necatrix and developed a reproducible transfection system with purified RnVV1 virions for the two distinct fungal hosts.

The findings were published online June 2013 in the journal Journal of Virology.
http://jvi.asm.org/content/87/12/6727

A major constraint on progress in virological studies of members of the family Totiviridae has been the difficulty in developing infectivity systems.

Professor Suzuki and his colleagues in the collaborative group of Institute of Plant and Resources and Institute of Fruit Tree Science, National Agricultural research Organization have developed a reproducible transfection system with purified virions of RnVV1 for natural (Rosellinia necatrix) and experimental (Cryphonectria parasitica) host fungi. They also have shown that RNA silencing acts to repress viral replication in the experimental host. This work demonstrates for the first time a host range expansion of a Totiviridae member that is targeted by RNA silencing.

It is expected that this transfection system could contribute interaction studies between fungi hosts and viruses.

This research was funded by Innovation Basic research Promotion Program of Bio-oriented Technology Research Support Center (National Agriculture and Food Research Organization).


Contact Information:
Mototaka Senda, Ph.D.
US Representative
Intellectual Property Office, Organization for Research Promotion and Collaboration, Okayama University
Fremont, California USA
TEL: 1-510-797-0907
Email: takasenda@okayama-u.ac.jp

Nobuhiro Suzuki, Ph.D.
Institute of Plant and Resources, Okayama University, Okayama Japan