{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,13]],"date-time":"2026-10-13T09:11:36Z","timestamp":1791882696973,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":50,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]],"date-time":"2026-02-28T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1772236800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Mycoviruses, or fungal viruses, are widespread throughout the fungal kingdom. This study aimed to identify environmental factors associated with mycoviruses, explore their transmission mechanisms, including vector-mediated transmission, and assess their potential practical applications. A systematic, retrospective, and cross-sectional bibliographic review was conducted. These viruses are closely linked to their fungal hosts, thus developing a symbiotic relationship. Among environmental variables, temperature appears to play a more significant role in limiting fungal virulence than other factors, such as relative humidity or ultraviolet radiation. Most mycoviruses are generally asymptomatic RNA viruses, rarely affecting the host\u2019s phenotype, and are transmitted intracellularly, primarily through vertical transmission via spores or horizontally through hyphal anastomosis; therefore, their life cycle typically lacks an extracellular phase. Mycoviruses remain understudied, particularly their role in vector-borne transmission and their influence on pathogen structure and behavior. Transmission can be persistent, where the virus replicates in insect vectors and is passed to offspring via infected eggs or feces, or non-persistent and indirect, facilitated by vectors without replication. Understanding the biology and ecology of mycoviruses is essential for advancing their potential use in the biocontrol of pathogens, including phytopathogens, representing a promising area of applied research.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v18030300","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,2]],"date-time":"2026-03-02T14:55:01Z","timestamp":1772463301000},"page":"300","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":3,"title":["Mycoviruses: Environmental Variables, Vector-Mediated Transmission and Use as a Biocontrol"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0942-2309","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Glenda Coromoto","family":"Velasquez Serra","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Medicine Career, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Guayaquil, Guayaquil 090510, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0845-5611","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Patricia Elizabeth","family":"Molleda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Health Science and Human Development, Ecotec Technological University, Km. 13.5 Samborondon, Guayaquil 092302, Ecuador"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,28]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1420","DOI":"10.1016\/j.molp.2020.08.016","article-title":"A 2-kb mycovirus converts a pathogenic fungus into a beneficial endophyte for brassica protection and yield enhancement","volume":"13","author":"Zhang","year":"2020","journal-title":"Mol. 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