Genome characterization of a novel mitovirus from the phytopathogenic fungus Diaporthe eres
Pang, Tianxing ; Li, Bokang ; Fu, Lerong ; Cai, Heqing ; Zhang, Zhihao ; Feng, Mengfan ; Andika, Ida Bagus ; Sun, Liying
DOI：10.1007/s00705-026-06595-4
Abstract
A novel mycovirus, named Diaporthe eres mitovirus Bj (DeMV-Bj) was identified in Diaporthe eres strain DeNY-5, which was isolated from the vascular tissue of tobacco plants exhibiting typical stem rot symptoms in Bijie City, Guizhou Province, China. The complete genome sequence of DeMV-Bj is 2,619 nucleotides (nt) in length with a G + C content of 39.98%, containing a single open reading frame (ORF) with the fungal mitochondrial genetic code which encodes an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of 724 amino acids (aa). The 5'-untranslated region (UTR, 261 nt) and 3'-UTR, 184 nt) can form stable stem-loop structures and a potential panhandle structure. The RdRp contains six conserved motifs typical for mitoviruses, including the GDD tripeptide. BLASTp analysis revealed that the RdRp of this virus shares the highest sequence identity (65.7%) with that of Diaporthe gulyae mitovirus 3. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that DeMV-Bj clusters within the genus Duamitovirus of the family Mitoviridae. Based on its genomic organization, protein sequence, and phylogenetic position, this virus is proposed to be a novel species in the genus Duamitovirus. This finding provides new insights into the virome of D. eres and the diversity of Duamitoviruses.