Notes on Family: Astroviridae
icosahedra
Contents
General Description
This family consists of a viruses that cause gastro-intestinal infections of vertebrates. A proprotion of the spherical virions have a distinct star-shaped appearance (Greek
astron = star) and there are two or three major coat proteins.
Morphology
Virions isometric (icosahedral), not enveloped, 28-30 nm in diameter, 10% of which have a distinctive 5- or 6-pointed star shape.
Genomen
Monopartite positive sense single-stranded RNA 6.8-7.9 kb in length with a 3'-polyA tail. The non-structural proteins are encoded by two ORFs that are expressed as one by ribosomal frameshift. The coat protein precursor is towards the 3'-end of the genome and is translated from a subgenomic RNA.
Genera in the Family
