Notes on Genus: Avenavirus

icosahedra

Type member: Oat chlorotic stunt virus

Contents

• Members of this Genus
• General Description
• Morphology
• Electron Micrograph
• Genome
• Genus Genomic Organization
• Genome Map
• Type Member Genomic Organization
• All Known Sequences
• Curated Sequences

General Description

The genus Avenavirus is one of 11 genera in the family Tombusviridae. The name is based on Avena, the scientific name of oat (the host of the type member). All the genera are morphologically similar, with icosahedral particles and small, (usually) monopartite ss RNA genomes. The single member of this genus has the largest coat protein of any member of the family (48.2 kDa) and four (rather than the usual five or six) open reading frames. The coat protein region shows most similarity with members of the genus Tombusvirus whilst the size and predicted strategy of the genome seem to be intermediate between that of the Carmovirus and Tombusvirus genera.

Morphology

Virions isometric (icosahedral), not enveloped, 35 nm in diameter.

Genome

Monopartite, linear, single stranded, positive sense RNA approx. 4.4 kb in size. The 3' terminus has no poly(A) tract.

Genus Genomic Organization

The RNA is translated into three or four putative products.

Type Member Genomic Organization

The RNA is translated into three or perhaps four products:

1.	23 kDa	putative polymerase
2.	84 kDa	polymerase, produced by readthrough of 1
3.	48 kDa	coat protein
4.	8 kDa	possible ORF of unknown function