PCR analysis of the viral complex associated with La France disease of Agaricus bisporus

Abstract

Reverse transcription PCR analysis was used to investigate the involvement of two RNA-genome viruses, La France isometric virus (LIV) and mushroom bacilliform virus (MBV), in the etiology of La France disease of the cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus. Reverse transcription PCR amplification of sequences targeted to the genomes of LIV and MBV, with a sensitivity of detection of <10 fg of viral RNA, showed diseased mushrooms to be either singly infected by LIV or doubly infected by LIV and MBV. Of 70 geographically diverse diseased mushroom isolates, 100% were infected by LIV, whereas almost 60% of these isolates were coinfected by MBV. Of 58 mushroom isolates determined to be free of infection by LIV, 3 were found to be infected by MBV. This represents the first documented report of the independent replication of these two viruses. Our data support the hypothesis that La France disease is associated with infection by two autonomously replicating viruses in which LIV is the primary causal agent and MBV, although possibly pathogenic and capable of modulating symptoms, is not required for pathogenesis.