Varicosavirus
Classification
Viruses; Riboviria; Orthonavirae; Negarnaviricota; Haploviricotina; Monjiviricetes; Mononegavirales; Rhabdoviridae; Betarhabdovirinae
Species
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NCBI: [1] |
Varicosavirus
Description and Significance
Varicosavirus is a nonenveloped, rod-shaped virus with helix symmetry. It infects veins in lettuce leaves and is associated with causing big-vein disease in field-grown lettuce. The type species and only member of the genus is Lettuce big-vein associated virus (LBVaV).
Transmission of the virus is through moist soil via zoospores from an obligate parasitic soil-borne fungus. LBVaV causes deformities in affected leaves that make them unmarketable.
Genome Structure
Varicosavirus is classified by its 18 nm diameter rods, single-strand RNA, and its two-segmented linear negative sense genome. The first segment, RNA1, has around 7000 nucleotides and the second segment, RNA2, has around 6500 nucleotides. RNA1 encodes for an L protein, and RNA2 encodes for CP, N protein,and the other genes’ functions are unknown.
Cell Structure, Metabolism and Life Cycle
Interesting features of cell structure; how it gains energy; what important molecules it produces.
Ecology and Pathogenesis
This virus causes big-vein disease in lettuce leaves and is transmitted using obligate parasitic soil-borne fungi. The exact fungus is still being evaluated. It favors cool temperatures throughout Europe, Asia, North America, and South America in moist soil. Varicosavirus affects lettuce leaf veins as it causes the leaf to enlarge leading to a more translucent appearance, and drier, more brittle textures. This in turn causes the lettuce to be unmarketable, and it is difficult to rid the soil of the virus and its obligate parasitic fungus.
References
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B978012374410400649X Sasaya, T. “Varicosavirus”. Encyclopedia of Virology. 2008. Volume 3. p. 263-268.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virusres.2011.09.028 Kormelink, R., Garcia, M.L., Goodin, M., Sasaya, T., Haenni, A. “Negative-strand RNA viruses: The plant-infecting counterparts”. Virus Research. 2011. Volume 162. Issues 1-2. p. 184-202.
https://doi.org/10.1006/viro.2002.1420 Sasaya, T., Ishikowa, K., Koganezawa, H. “The Nucleotide Sequence of RNA1 of Lettuce big-vein virus, Genus Varicosavirus, Reveals its Relation to Nonsegmented Negative-Strand RNA Viruses”. Virology. 2002. Volume 297. Issue 2. p. 289-297.
https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-384684-6.00065-3 “Genus- Varicosavirus”. Virus Taxonomy. Ninth Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. 2012. p. 777-781.
Author
Page authored by Shelby Kennedy, student of Prof. Bradley Tolar at UNC Wilmington.
[[Category:Pages edited by students of Bradley Tolar at UNC Wilmington]]
