Presence of double-stranded RNA and virus-like particles in Phaffia rhodozyma (original) (raw)

Abstract

Four double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules were isolated from Phaffia rhodozyma UCD 67-385. Their molecular sizes were approximately 4.3, 3.1, 0.9 and 0.75 kilobase pairs (kbp) as determined by agarose-gel electrophoresis and they were designated as L, M, S1 and S2, respectively. By differential centrifugation in sucrose gradients, these dsRNAs copurified with isometric virus-like particles 36 nm in diameter. A cured strain, UV-S2, lacking the S2-dsRNA was obtained from P. rhodozyma UCD 67-385 by ultraviolet (UV) light treatment. UV-S2 strain contains identical virus-like particles to those from the wild-type strain, as determined by electron microscopy, suggesting that the S2-dsRNA was not essential for the expression of mycovirus structural polypeptides. On the other hand, both the UCD 67-385 and UV-S2 strains were able to kill P. rhodozyma UCD 67-383, a strain without dsRNAs. These results suggest that the dsRNA molecules also encode a killer system. Finally, the UV-S2 strain maintains killer ability, which suggests that S2-dsRNA is not involved in the killer phenotype expression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencia, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Casilla 307, Santiago-2, Santiago, Chile
    Antonio Castillo
  2. Laboratorio de Genética, Depto de Ciencias Ecológicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile, Las Palmeras 3425, Casilla 653, Santiago, Chile
    Víctor Cifuentes

Authors

  1. Antonio Castillo
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  2. Víctor Cifuentes
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Communicated by K. Esser

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Castillo, A., Cifuentes, V. Presence of double-stranded RNA and virus-like particles in Phaffia rhodozyma.Curr Genet 26, 364–368 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00310502

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