Notes on Genus: Rotavirus

icosahedra
icosahedra

Type member: Rotavirus A

Contents

General Description

This is one of the animal virus genera in the family Reoviridae. Members have 11 genome segments and infect vertebrates. The name reflects the fact that virus particles have a wheel (latin Rota)-like appearance in electron microscopy.

Morphology

Virions isometric (icosahedral), c.100 nm in diameter, with three concentric capsid shells.

Genome

Linear, double stranded RNA in 11 segments. Each virion contains a single copy of the entire genome. Total genome c.18500 nucleotides long.

Genus Genomic Organization

Most segments have only one ORF.

Type Member Genomic Organization

  • Segment 1 (3302 nt) encodes the VP1 polymerase (125.1 kDa )
  • Segment 2 (2690 nt) encodes the innermost core shell protein VP2 (102.7 kDa)
  • Segment 3 (2591 nt) encodes the cap protein VP3 (98.1 kDa)
  • Segment 4 (2362) encodes the surface spike protein VP4 (86.8 kDa)
  • Segment 5 (1611 nt) encodes the non-strutural protein NSP1 (58.5 kDa)
  • Segment 6 (1357 nt) encodes the middle shell protein VP6 (44.9 kDa)
  • Segment 7 (1104 nt) encodes the non-structural protein NSP3 (36.4 kDa)
  • Segment 8 (1059 nt) encodes the non-structural glycoprotein NSP2 (36.6 kDa)
  • Segment 9 (1062 nt) encodes the major outer capsid protein VP7 (37.2 kDa)
  • Segment 10 (751 nt) encodes the non-structural glycoprotein NSP4 (20.2 kDa)
  • Segment 11 (667 nt) encodes two non-structural proteins NSP5 (21.7 kDa) and NSP6 (11.0 kDa)