Fungi Parasitic Viruses

Several viruses have been identified as parasites of some fungal isolates that cause chestnut blight, canola stem rot, wheat head blight, corn smut, and a number of molds and yeasts. These mycoviruses reduce growth, proliferation and pathogenicity and cause abnormal pigmentation in the mycelium, or mutations in the host fungus. These viruses can be transmitted to other isolates of the same fungus or other fungi by hyphen anastamosis. Therefore, identification of hypovirulent and infected isolates of pathogenic fungi to viruses and their use for plant protection against highly pathogenic isolates and plant diseases management is recommended.