Virus-like particles from the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica

Summary Four out of the 24 strains of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica we have checked for the presence of virus-like particles (VLPs) proved to contain encapsidated double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) molecules, 4.9 kb long. A major VLP polypeptide of MW 80,000 was observed in all 4 cases, and a second one of MW 77,000 in three cases. dsRNA from the VLPs harboring only the larger polypeptide showed little homology with the 3 others. We have found no homology between VLP dsRNAs and host DNA or dsRNAs from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and no relationship between the presence of VLPs and a possible killer phenomenon in Y. lipolytica.