Mycoviruses can have a marked effect on natural fungal communities and influence plant health and productivity. However, a comprehensive picture of mycoviral diversity is still lacking. To characterize the viromes of five widely dispersed plant-pathogenic fungi, Colletotrichum truncatum , Macrophomina phaseolina , Diaporthe longicolla , Rhizoctonia solani , and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum , a high-throughput sequencing-based metatranscriptomic approach was used to detect viral sequences. Total RNA and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) from mycelia and RNA from samples enriched for virus particles were sequenced. Sequence data were assembled de novo , and contigs with predicted amino acid sequence similarities to viruses in the nonredundant protein database were selected. The analysis identified 72 partial or complete genome segments representing 66 previously undescribed mycoviruses. Using primers specific for each viral contig, at least one fungal isolate was identified that contained each virus. The novel mycoviruses showed affinity with 15 distinct lineages: Barnaviridae , Benyviridae , Chrysoviridae , Endornaviridae , Fusariviridae , Hypoviridae , Mononegavirales , Narnaviridae , Ophioviridae , Ourmiavirus , Partitiviridae , Tombusviridae , Totiviridae , Tymoviridae , and Virgaviridae . More than half of the viral sequences were predicted to be members of the Mitovirus genus in the family Narnaviridae , which replicate within mitochondria. Five viral sequences showed strong affinity with three families ( Benyviridae , Ophioviridae , and Virgaviridae ) that previously contained no mycovirus species. The genomic information provides insight into the diversity and taxonomy of mycoviruses and coevolution of mycoviruses and their fungal hosts. IMPORTANCE Plant-pathogenic fungi reduce crop yields, which affects food security worldwide. Plant host resistance is considered a sustainable disease management option but may often be incomplete or lacking for some crops to certain fungal pathogens or strains. In addition, the rising issues of fungicide resistance demand alternative strategies to reduce the negative impacts of fungal pathogens. Those fungus-infecting viruses (mycoviruses) that attenuate fungal virulence may be welcome additions for mitigation of plant diseases. By high-throughput sequencing of the RNAs from 275 isolates of five fungal plant pathogens, 66 previously undescribed mycoviruses were identified. In addition to identifying new potential biological control agents, these results expand the grand view of the diversity of mycoviruses and provide possible insights into the importance of intracellular and extracellular transmission in fungus-virus coevolution.

In April 2023, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote on newly proposed taxa, the phylum Negarnaviricota was amended and emended. The phylum was expanded by one new family, 14 new genera, and 140 new species. Two genera and 538 species were renamed. One species was moved, and four were abolished. This article presents the updated taxonomy of Negarnaviricota as now accepted by the ICTV.

In March 2022, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote on newly proposed taxa, the phylum Negarnaviricota was amended and emended. The phylum was expanded by two new families (bunyaviral Discoviridae and Tulasviridae), 41 new genera, and 98 new species. Three hundred forty-nine species were renamed and/or moved. The accidentally misspelled names of seven species were corrected. This article presents the updated taxonomy of Negarnaviricota as now accepted by the ICTV.

Crop rotation is an important management tactic that farmers use to manage crop production and reduce pests and diseases. Long-term crop rotations may select groups of microbes that form beneficial or pathogenic associations with the following crops, which could explain observed crop yield differences with different crop sequences. To test this hypothesis, we used two locations each with four long-term (12–14-year), replicated, rotation treatments: continuous corn (CCC), corn/corn/soybean (SCC), corn/soybean (CSC), and soybean/corn (SCS). Afterwards, soybean was planted, and yield and soil health indicators, bulk soil microbiome, and soybean root-associated microbiome were assessed. Soybean yields, as well as soil protein, and POXC as soil health indicators were higher following CCC than in the other three treatments at both locations. A bacterial taxon in familyJG30-KF-AS9was enriched in CCC, whereasMicrovirga,Rhodomicrobium, andMicromonosporaceaewere enriched in SCS. Several ascomycetes explain lowered yield as soybean pathogens in SCS. Surprisingly,Tumularia,PyrenochaetopsisandSchizotheciumwere enriched in soybean roots after CCC, suggesting corn pathogens colonizing soybean roots as nonpathogens. Our finding of associations between soil health indicators related to microbiomes and soybean yield has wide-ranging implications, opening the possibility of manipulating microbiomes to improve crop yield potential.