An endogenous DNA virus in an amphibian-killing fungus associated with pathogen genotype and virulence.

The global panzootic lineage (GPL) of the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has caused severe amphibian population declines, yet the drivers underlying the high frequency of GPL in regions of amphibian decline are unclear. Using publicly available Bd genome sequences, we identified multiple non-GPL Bd isolates that contain a circular Rep-encoding single-stranded (CRESS)-like DNA virus, which we named Bd DNA virus 1 (BdDV-1). We further sequenced and constructed genome assemblies with long read sequences to find that the virus is integrated into the nuclear genome in some strains.

Genetic transformation of the frog-killing chytrid fungus .

(), a causative agent of chytridiomycosis, is decimating amphibian populations around the world. belongs to the chytrid lineage, a group of early-diverging fungi that are widely used to study fungal evolution. Like all chytrids, develops from a motile form into a sessile, growth form, a transition that involves drastic changes in its cytoskeletal architecture.

A guide to -mediated transformation of the chytrid fungus .

Chytrid fungi play key ecological roles in aquatic ecosystems, and some species cause a devastating skin disease in frogs and salamanders. Additionally, chytrids occupy a unique phylogenetic position- sister to the well-studied Dikarya (the group including yeasts, sac fungi, and mushrooms) and related to animals- making chytrids useful for answering important evolutionary questions. Despite their importance, little is known about the basic cell biology of chytrids.