Reoviridae
Baltimore Classification
Higher order taxa
Viruses; dsRNA viruses; Reoviridae
Genera
Orthoreovirus, Rotavirus, Orbivirus, Coltivirus, Aquareovirus, Seadornavirus, Cypovirus, Idnoreovirus, Fijivirus, Phytoreovirus, Oryzavirus, Mycoreovirus
Description and Significance
Reoviruses, or Respiratory Enteric Orphan viruses, infect invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants. In vertebrates, reoviruses cause infections of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. Rotaviruses, part of the Reovirus family, are a major cause of infant deaths in the developing world, killing over 800,000 children under the age of 2 each year. Originally, reoviruses were classified as echoviruses, in the family Picornaviridae. (sources: Microbiology @ Leicester, Wong)
Genome Structure
The reovirus genome is monomeric and consist of ten to twelve segments (depending on the genus) of linear, double-stranded RNA. The complete genome is 18200-30500 nucleotides long. There is a methylated nucleotide cap on the 5'-terminus. Each virion contains a full-length copy of the genome. (source: ICTVdB)
Virion Structure of a Reovirus
Reovirus virions are non-enveloped and consist of a capsid, a core, and a nucleoprotein complex. The capsid is 60-80nm in diameter and is icosahedral. The virion has a double protein shell. Virus particles can be in inclusion bodies that are not occluded and contain one nucleocapsid, or they can be occluded by protein bodies.
Reproduction Cycle of a Reovirus in a Host Cell
Viral Ecology & Pathology
References
ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database, version 4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/ICTVdB/