9 As By 1966 it was decided that some order had to be

brought to the business of naming viruses and

classifying them into groups, and the International
Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) was
formed.
9 The committee now has many working groups and is
advised by virologists around the world.
9 The ICTV lays down the rules for the nomenclature
and classification of viruses,
viruses and it considers
proposals for new taxonomic groups and virus
names.
9 Those that are approved are published in book form
and is available at its online database.
http://www.ictvdb.org/
9whether the nucleic acid is DNA or RNA
9 h th the
9whether th nucleic
l i acid
id is
i single
i l stranded
t d d or double
d bl
stranded
9Replication Mechanism.
9whether the capsid has helical symmetry or
icosahedral symmetry
p
9whether the virion is naked or enveloped
9Host and Vector
` Ranges of sizes
◦ 20 nm to 500 nm (spherical)
◦ 12 nm to 300-2000 nm (rod like)
◦ Easily observed with electron microscope
◦ Ex.1 Mimivirus is 500 nm
x Infects algae
◦ Ex.2
Ex 2 Parvovirus is 20 nm in diameter
x Infects algae
◦ Viral genomes range in size 2,000 bp to
1 200 000 b
1,200,000 bp
` Viral genome
◦ 2-1,200
2 1 200 Kb
◦ Encoded proteins: 2-1,200
◦ Compact and economical
` Cellular genome
◦ 3x109 bp
◦ 30,000
30 000 proteins
t i
◦ Massive and with 90% non-coding DNA
9whether the nucleic acid is DNA or RNA
9whether the nucleic acid is single stranded or double
stranded
Replication Mechanism.
9Replication
` first defined in 1971
` seven groups
` Considered characters
x nucleic acid (DNA or RNA),
x strandedness (single-stranded or double-stranded),
x Sense (+ve or –ve)
ve),
x method of replication.
` Viruses can be placed in one of the seven following groups:
x I: dsDNA viruses (e.g. Adenoviruses, Herpesviruses, Poxviruses)
x II: ssDNA viruses (+)sense DNA (e.g.
(e g Parvoviruses)
x III: dsRNA viruses (e.g. Reoviruses)
x IV: (+)ssRNA viruses (+)sense RNA (e.g. Picornaviruses, Togaviruses)
x V: (−)ssRNA viruses (−)sense RNA (e.g. Orthomyxoviruses, Rhabdoviruses)
x VI: ssRNA-RT viruses (+)sense
( ) RNA with DNA intermediate in life-cycle
y
(e.g. Retroviruses)
x VII: dsDNA-RT viruses (e.g. Hepadnaviruses)
` ssDNA Viruses have the following characteristics
◦ Small genome,
genome 22-7
7 Kb
x Possibly due to unstable nature of ssDNA
compared to dsDNA
◦ Circ
Circular
lar genomes with
ith the exception
e ception of
Parvoviridae (hairpin)
◦ No envelope
p
◦ Predominantly icosahedral capsids
` Examples of dsDNA viruses that infect humans
◦ HSV, HPV and adenoviruses
` Among the largest known viruses
` Genome size varies from 5 to 1180 Kb
` Unfragmented genomes
` Both linear and circular
` Large genome size attributed to stability of
d DNA
dsDNA
` Low error rate during replication
` No dsDNA virus is known to infect plants
p
` Phages are dsDNA viruses (95%)
` They utilize RNA dependent polymerase
` Icosahedral capsids
` Capsids stays intact inside cell. Why?Genome
protection.
` Transcription occurs via viral RNA polymerases
` Reoviruses (dsRNA) are capable of infecting
multiple species (plants, vertebrates, fungi). Not
a common phenomenon.
` Rhabhoviridae
h bh d infect
f multiple
l l species as wellll
` The fact that they carry their own RNA
replication/transcription proteins makes them
d t
more adept
` Very common of plant viruses to be +ssRNA
` Only one phage family is +ssRNA
` RNA viruses have linear genomes
` Si il to
Similar t ssDNA
DNA viruses
i th
they are
susceptible to nucleases and divalant cation
degradation
g
` Coronavirus has the largest genome of
+ssRNA virus (16-30 Kb)
` +ssRNA=mRNA
` This group includes some of the
d dl
deadliest viruses
◦ Ebola, rabies, influenza, measles
` Only helical nucleocapsids
` Nucleocapsid seems to provide stability
for RNA dependent RNA polymerase to
generate +ssRNA
` 3 families belong to this group
◦ Retroviridae, Ex. HIV
◦ Hepadnaviridae, Ex. HBV
◦ Caulimoviridae, Ex. Cauliflower Mosaic Virus
` These families utilize enzyme
y that uses an RNA
template to make DNA template
` Reverse transcriptase is packaged in capsid
◦ Similar to + ssRNA and – ssRNA that package the RNA
dependent polymerase
` Retroviruses package 2 copies of their RNA
genome in the capsid
` These viruses require a helper virus
` Th i genomes encode
Their d ffor capsid
id
proteins
` Nucleic acid satellites are either non-
non
coding or encode for non-capsid
proteins
` Mostly a plant phenomenon
` In humans the Hep delta virus resembles
characteristics of satellite virus/viroid
` These are plant pathogens
` They replicate in the absence of helper virus
` Genome is circular and single stranded
` 25-400 nt
` Cellular DNA dependent RNA polymerases are
used for replication
` High degree of internal base pairing
` RNA behaves as enzyme
◦ i.e cut/ligate themselves
◦ Ribozymes
` PACKAGING OR CONDENSATION OF
NUCLEIC ACID

` PROTECTION OF NUCLEIC ACID

` TRANSPORT NUCLEIC ACID FROM CELL TO

CELL

` PROVIDES SPECIFICITY FOR ATTACHMENT

` Icosahedral

` Helical

`C l
Complex
9whether the nucleic acid is DNA or RNA
9 h th the
9whether th nucleic
l i acid
id is
i single
i l stranded
t d d or double
d bl
stranded
9Replication Mechanism.
9whether the capsid has helical symmetry or
icosahedral symmetry
p
9whether the virion is naked or enveloped
9Host and Vector
 Examples (common  Virion Capsid
Virus Family Nucleic acid type Group
a es)
names) a ed/e e oped
naked/enveloped Sy e y
Symmetry
Adenovirus, Infectious 
1.Adenoviridae Naked Icosahedral ds I
canine hepatitis virus
2.Papillomaviridae Papillomavirus Naked Icosahedral ds circular I
Parvovirus B19, 
3 Parvoviridae
3.Parvoviridae Naked Icosahedral ss II
Canine parvovirus
Herpes simplex virus, 
varicella‐zoster virus, 
4.Herpesviridae Enveloped Icosahedral ds I
cytomegalovirus, 
Epstein‐Barr virus
Smallpox virus, cow 
pox virus, sheep pox 
5.Poxviridae virus, orf virus,  Complex coats Complex ds I
monkey pox virus, 
vaccinia virus
6.Hepadnaviridae Hepatitis B virus Enveloped Icosahedral circular, partially ds VII
Polyoma virus; JC 
virus (progressive 
7.Polyomaviridae Naked Icosahedral ds circular I
multifocal 
leukoencephalopathy)
Transfusion 
8.Circoviridae Naked Icosahedral ss circular II
Transmitted Virus
 Examples (common  Virion Capsid
Virus Family
Virus Family Nucleic acid type
Nucleic acid type Group
names) naked/enveloped Symmetry

1.Reoviridae Reovirus, Rotavirus Naked Icosahedral ds III

Enterovirus, Rhinovi
rus Hepatovirus,
rus, Hepatovirus Po
2.Picornaviridae Naked Icosahedral ss IV
liovirus, Parechoviru
s
Norwalk 
3.Caliciviridae virus, Hepatitis  Naked Icosahedral ss IV
E virus
4.Togaviridae Rubella virus Enveloped Icosahedral ss IV
Lymphocytic 
5.Arenaviridae choriomeningitis  Enveloped Complex ss(‐) V
virus
Dengue 
virus, Hepatitis 
6.Flaviviridae Enveloped Icosahedral ss IV
C virus, Yellow fever 
virus

Influenzavirus 
7.Orthomyxoviridae Enveloped Helical ss(‐) V
A, Influenzavirus B,
 Cont……

Examples  Virion Capsid

Virus Family Nucleic acid type Group
(common names) naked/enveloped Symmetry

Measles 
8.Paramyxoviridae
y virus,, Mumps 
p Enveloped
p Helical ss(‐)
() V
virus,

California 
9.Bunyaviridae Enveloped Helical ss(‐) V
encephalitis virus,

10.Rhabdoviridae Rabies virus Enveloped Helical ss(‐) V

Ebola 
11.Filoviridae Enveloped
p Helical ss(‐) V
virus,
i M b
Marburg virus
i

12.Coronaviridae Corona virus Enveloped Helical ss IV

13.Astroviridae Astrovirus Naked Icosahedral ss IV

14.Bornaviridae Borna disease virus Enveloped Helical ss(‐) V

Taxonomic Group Suffix Example

Order -virales Caudovirales

Family -viridae Myoviridae

Sub-Family -virinae Paramyxovirinae

Genus -virus Morbillivirus