Further reading: Alphaflexiviridae

Martelli, G. P., M. J. Adams, J. F. Kreuze and V. V. Dolja (2007). Family Flexiviridae: a case study in virion and genome plasticity. Annu. Rev. Phytopathol.  45: 73-100. [PubMed]

Resources: Alphaflexiviridae

Sequence alignments and tree files:

Figure 3. Alphaflexiviridae: 

Tree file (newick format)

Alignment file (FASTA format)

Authors: Alphaflexiviridae

Jan F. Kreuze*
Alphaflexiviridae Study Group Chair
International Potato Center (CIP)
Apartado 1558
Lima 12
Peru
E-mail: j.kreuze@cgiar.org

Anna Maria Vaira
Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection, CNR
73 Strada delle Cacce
10135 Torino
Italy
E-mail: annamaria.vaira@ipsp.cnr.it

Family: Alphaflexiviridae

Genus: Sclerodarnavirus

Family: Alphaflexiviridae

Genus: Potexvirus

Distinguishing features

Potexviruses have relatively short virions (<700 nm) and their genomes have only five ORFs. Potexviruses infect herbaceous hosts and have no known vectors. 

Family: Alphaflexiviridae

Genus: Platypuvirus

Family: Alphaflexiviridae

Genus: Mandarivirus

Family: Alphaflexiviridae

Genus: Lolavirus

Family: Alphaflexiviridae

Genus: Botrexvirus

Family: Alphaflexiviridae

Genus: Allexivirus

Distinguishing features

Allexiviruses are distinguished by mite transmission and by the presence of a large conserved ORF4 or 5 after the position where the third, and smallest, of the triple gene block (TGB) proteins, TGB3, is found in the other plant-infecting members of the family. Whereas the start codon is missing for the TGB3 ORF in most (but not all) genus members, the coding capacity is conserved and the ORF may be translated through alternative mechanisms.