Notes on Genus: Cavemovirus

icosahedra

Type member: Cassava vein mosaic 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

This is one of 7 genera in the family Caulimoviridae, which are distinctive amongst plant viruses in having double-stranded DNA. Members of this genus are those with isometric, rather than bacilliform particles and with 5 open reading frames in the genome. The type member of the genus was previously classified in the genus Caulimovirus, but this now only includes those viruses with 6 or 7 open reading frames. The name is derived from the type member, Cassava vein mosaic virus. Similar viruses but with the coat protein and movement protein encoded from separate ORFs are classified in the genus Solendovirus.

Morphology

Virions isometric, not enveloped, 45-50 nm in diameter with no obvious surface structure. The virion shell is multi-layered.

Virions composed of 16 % nucleic acid.

Genome

Monopartite, open circular, double stranded DNA of 8100-8200 base pairs.

Genus Genomic Organization

Five potential open reading frames have been identified.

Type Member Genomic Organization

There are believed to be 5 open reading frames:

1	164 kDa	polyprotein including coat protein and movement proteins
2	9 kDa	unknown function
3	77 kDa	polyprotein containing proteinase and reverse transcriptase motifs
4	46 kDa	putative transactivator factor
5	6 kDa	putative transcription regulator