Incidence of dsRNA mycoviruses in a collection of Aspergillus fumigatus isolates

Abstract

A collection of clinical and environmental isolates of the opportunistic human pathogen, Aspergillus fumigatus, were screened for the presence of mycoviruses and 6.6 % of 366 isolates contained dsRNA segments ranging in size from ~1.0 to 4.0 kbp. The dsRNAs were categorised into three different groups comprising bipartite dsRNAs, quadripartite dsRNAs, representative isolates of which have both been sequenced, and an uncharacterised mycovirus, whose genome apparently consists of four dsRNAs 1-2.5 kbp in size. Here, we describe dsRNA incidence in the A. fumigatus isolates examined, their provenance and also note that on occasion individual isolates were infected with two groups of different dsRNAs.