Notes on Family: Caulimoviridae
bacilliform or icosahedra
Contents
General Description
This family includes all the plant viruses with double-stranded DNA genomes. In current virus classification, these are not considered true dsDNA viruses as they replicate using an RNA intermediate and are therefore grouped with the other reverse-transcribing viruses.
Morphology
Virions not enveloped, bacilliform (30 x 60-900 nm) or isometric (45-50 nm in diameter).
Genomen
Monopartite, open circular, double stranded DNA of 7000-8200 base pairs with discontinuities in both strands: one in the transcribed strand and one to three in the non-transcribed strand. There are from one to several open reading frames on the transcribed strand.
Genera in the Family
- Badnavirus (bacilliform particles, 3 ORFs)
- Cavemovirus (isometric particles, 5 ORFs; coat and movement proteins encoded in a single ORF)
- Caulimovirus (isometric particles, 6 or 7 ORFs)
- Petuvirus (isometric particles, 1 ORF)
- Solendovirus (isometric particles, 4 major ORFs; coat and movement proteins encoded in separate ORFs)
- Soymovirus (isometric particles, 8 ORFs)
- Tungrovirus (bacilliform particles, 4 ORFs)
