PAID ACCESS | Published on : 28-Feb-2026 | Pages: 34-52 | Doi : 10.37446/edibook162024 /34-52
Mycoviruses are ubiquitous in fungal ecosystem as they identified in almost all phylum including Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Zygomycota and Oomycota. Most of the mycoviruses are dsRNA however other genomes including ssRNA, circular ssDNA and dsDNA also present. They live intracellularly and transmission is through hyphal anastomosis, sporulation and cell division. Cryphonectria parasitica hypovius 1 (CHV1) was accidental discovery of Biraghi noted that stem lesions were recovered naturally without external influence. These mycoviruses influence the fungal host by suppressing the antiviral defense mechanisms for their colonization. In addition to that they utilizes RNAi technology for down regulating or silencing the fungal virulence gene that leads to hypovirulence, reduced growth rate, impairing of conidial production and abnormal pigmentation by the fungal host. These properties of mycovirus possess to be used as potential biocontrol agents.
Genetic diversity, Hypovirulence, Pathogenicity of mycovirus, Transmission, Management of fungal diseases
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