Family: Picornaviridae
Genus: Rabovirus
Distinguishing features
The genus is distinguished on the basis of genetic characters.
Virion
Morphology
No details are available on the morphology of virions.
Nucleic acid
Genome (Luo et al., 2018, Williams et al., 2018, Wu et al., 2018): up to 7,834 nt (5′-UTR: up to 751 nt; ORF: 6,930–7,143 nt; 3′-UTR: 61–91 nt). The location of the cre has not been identified.
Genome organization and replication
Genome layout:
VPg+5′-UTRIRES-II-[L-1A-1B-1C-1D/2Apro-2B-2C/3A-3B-3C-3D]-3′-UTR-poly(A)
The deduced polyprotein ranges from 2,310 to 2,381 aa. The L protein has unknown function. The 2A protein has been proposed to be a chymotrypsin-like protease.
Biology
No virus has been isolated. Viral RNA was detected in faeces of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and mice (Mus musculus) in USA and Germany, in intestinal contents of Himalayan marmots (Marmota himalayana), and in tissue samples of Gairdner's shrewmice (Mus pahari).
At least 6 genetic types are distinguished by means of phylogenetic analysis: Rabovirus A (2 types), Rabovirus B (1 type), Rabovirus C (1 type), Rabovirus D (2 types).
Derivation of names
Rabovirus: from rat-borne
Species demarcation criteria
Members of a species of genus Rabovirus:
- share a common genome organization
- are less than 30% divergent in the polyprotein aa sequence
- are less than 30% divergent in the P1 aa sequence
- are less than 25% divergent in the 2C + 3CD aa sequence