Genomic characterization of a novel partitivirus infecting Aspergillus ochraceus

Three double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) segments from Aspergillus ochraceus isolate FA 0611, designated as AoR1, AoR2, and AoR3, were cloned and sequenced. AoR1 was identical with AoV dsRNA 1 previously reported from A. ochraceus ATCC 28706, which putatively encoded an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of an unidentified mycovirus. AoR2 was found to encode a putative viral capsid protein (CP) with 63% similarity to that of Penicillium stoloniferum virus S, which was detected from P. stoloniferum ATCC 14586. The function of AoR3 was unknown. The three segments were found to contain a conserved sequence at their 5' termini, while an identical sequence was only found at the 3' termini of AoR1 and AoR2. It is suggested that AoR1, AoR2, and AoR3 originate from an independent partitivirus infecting A. ochraceus. The novel virus is suggested to be Aspergillus ochraceus virus 1, AoV1.