Mycoviruses as a part of the global virome: diversity, evolutionary links and lifestyle

Drs. Ayllón and Vainio make a compilation of the current information on the genome organization, diversity and taxonomy of mycoviruses, discussing their possible origins. The focus is in the expansion of the host range of many viral taxa previously considered to be exclusively fungal, but we also address factors affecting virus transmissibility and coexistence in single fungal or oomycete isolates, as well as the development of synthetic mycoviruses and their use in investigating mycovirus replication cycles and pathogenicity.