Notes on Genus: Avulavirus

enveloped spheres

Type member: Newcastle disease virus

General Description

The genus Avulavirus is one of nine genera in the family Paramyxoviridae and contains viruses that used to be classified in the genus Rubulavirus, but which infect birds (hence the name avian rubulavirus and translate protein V from an edited RNA transcript. They have a hemagglutinin-neuraminidase attachment protein and do not produce a non-strutural protein C.

Morphology

Virions pleomorphic but usually spherical, enveloped, 150 nm in diameter or larger with spike-like projections.

Genome

Monopartite single-stranded negative sense RNA of about 15 kb. There is no genome-linked protein (VPg) at the 5'-terminus nor a 3'-polyA tail.

Genus Genomic Organization

There are 6 or 7 transcriptional elements (mRNA species). Their major ORFs are listed here in their order on the template strand - i.e. from 3' to 5' with respect to the virion strand:

1	N	51-53 kDa	Coat protein (nucleocapsid)
2	P	42-46 kDa	Phosphoprotein
3	V		Produced from the P transcript by RNA editing: shares the N-terminus of P but then has a frame shift; not precisely specified in the sequence file headers
4	M	40 kDa	Matrix protein
5	F	59-60 kDa	Fusion protein: glycosylated envelope protein
6	SH	16 kDa	Small membrane protein (in some members only)
7	H	62-68 kDa	Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase attachment protein
8	L	248-252 kDa	Polymerase

Type Member Genomic Organization

There are 6 transcriptional elements (mRNA species). Their major ORFs are listed here in their order on the template strand - i.e. from 3' to 5' with respect to the virion strand:

1	N	53 kDa	Coat protein (nucleocapsid)
2	P	42 kDa	Phosphoprotein
3	V		Produced from the P transcript by RNA editing: shares the N-terminus of P but then has a frame shift; not precisely specified in the sequence file headers
4	M	40 kDa	Matrix protein
5	F	59 kDa	Fusion protein: glycosylated envelope protein
6	H	63 kDa	Hemagglutinin-neuraminidase attachment protein
7	L	249 kDa	Polymerase