Special Issue "Advances in Oomycete Virus Research"

Special Issue “Advances in Oomycete Virus Research”

Leticia Botella Sánchez from the Phytophthora Research Centre together with Jarkko Hantula and Eeva Vainio from Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE) prepare a Special Issue “Advances in Oomycete Virus Research”.

Special Issue Information:

Oomycetes are heterotrophic saprophytes and parasites of plant and animal hosts. Their morphology and habitat are highly similar to filamentous fungi but phylogenetically they are closer to brown algae and diatoms and belong to the Kingdom Stramenopila (Heterokonta). In general, relatively little is known about virus communities inhabiting oomycetes. Most of the research developed so far has focused on the genus Phytophthora, whose members are significant global plant and forest pathogens causing important economic losses in agriculture, horticulture, and forest industry, and they are major threats to natural ecosystems and biodiversity. Nevertheless, a number of new viruses have been also found in other oomycetes with very diverse ecosystems and lifestyles, such as downy mildews (biotrophic plant parasites), water, and soilborne oomycetes of the genus Pythium, and Halophytophthora species from estuary ecosystems.

Although the advent of new molecular technologies has brought the opportunity to presume a rich diversity of oomycete viruses, there is still a long way to understand, what is their origin? What is the effect on their hosts? How closely related to diatom viruses they are? How do they transmit? Are there oomycete viruses with DNA genomes? Are the drivers of the evolution of their hosts? Could they be utilized in controlling their pathogenic hosts?

This special issue is a good opportunity to answer some or all these questions and you are welcome to participate.

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 December 2021.

More detailed information here: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/viruses/special_issues/oomycete-virus