Interferon Stimulation by a Double Stranded RNA of a Mycophage in Statolon Preparations

Mycoviruses: A New Dimension in Microbiology

“…Lampson et al (7), working with another antiviral substance from P. funiculosum also capable of inducing interferon (8), found this activity associated with a doublestranded RNA extracted from mycelia of this mold. Subsequently, the RNA extracted from purified P. stoloniferum mycovirus was shown to be double stranded in nature (9 The finding of myco-irus in P. stoloniferum was confirmed an. also elucidated in P. funiculosum (10).…”

“…Two fungal products, statolon from Penicillium stoloniferum and helenine from P. funiculosum, were found to have the capacity to induce interferon in test animals. It was ultimately found that the active factor in both statolon and helenine was ds-RNA of viral origin (6,7,9,10). Since then the ds-RNA of mycoviruses isolated from P. chrysogenum (23,42,43,46,55), P. cyaneo-fulvum (49), Aspergillus foetidus (66), and another strain of P. funiculosum (10) has been shown to induce interferon in test animals.…”

Viruses of Eucaryotic Microorganisms

“…The first works containing physicochemical evidence from the presence of double stranded RNA and ds RNA viruses in fu ngi were published during 1967 and 1968 in relation to the interferon-inducing potential of Penicillium molds (13,83,120,Bl). Subsequently, ds RNA has been found in a wide variety of fu ngi (Table l) including the pencillin-producing mold P. chrysogenum (143), the yeast S. cerevisiae (18), and the cultivated mushroom Agaricus his porus (157).…”

Aspergillus fumigatusconidia induce interferon-β signalling in respiratory epithelial cells

“…As only dsRNA showed stimulatory activity in this study, we suggest that dsRNA derived from mycoviruses and conidial mRNA are responsible for the induction of IFN-b signalling in epithelial cells. Previous studies have shown that mycoviruses are efficiently transmitted by asexual spores containing up to 120 mg dsRNA per gramme of dry weight and that dsRNA derived from fungal mycoviruses is a potent inducer of IFN [41][42][43][44]. Furthermore, mRNA has been shown to be a potent ligand of TLR3, probably due to secondary double-stranded structures [45].…”