Family: Nairoviridae

Genus: Ocetevirus

Distinguishing features

Red goblin roach virus 1 (RGRV1; outdated synonym blattodean nairo-related virus OKIAV321 [BNRV-321]) is the only classified ocetevirus. RGRV1 infects ectobiid cockroaches (Käfer et al., 2019).

Virion

Virions are unknown.

Nucleic acid

Oceteviruses have trisegmented negative-sense RNA genomes of 21.2 kb (small [S] segment: 2.5 kb; medium [M] segment: 6.1 kb; large [L] segment: 12.6 kb) (Käfer et al., 2019).

Proteins

Based on sequence data only, oceteviruses likely express three structural proteins: nucleoprotein (N), glycoprotein precursor (GPC), and large protein (L) (Käfer et al., 2019).

Genome organization and replication

The S segment encodes N, the M segment encodes GPC, and the L segment encodes L (Figure 1 Ocetevirus). Ocetevirus genomic segments are expected to assume circular forms via non-covalent binding of complementary and conserved 3′- and 5′-terminal sequences.

Figure 1 Ocetevirus. Schematic representation of ocetevirus genome organization. The 5′- and 3′-ends of each segment (S, M, and L) are, by analogy to other nairovirids, predicted to be complementary at their termini, likely promoting the formation of circular ribonucleoprotein complexes within the virion.

Biology

RGRV1 was discovered by high-throughput sequencing in a red goblin roach (ectobiid Paratemnopteryx couloniana (Saussure, 1863)) sampled in Germany (Käfer et al., 2019). Replication-competent ocetevirus isolates have not yet been obtained, and hence ocetevirus biology remains to be elucidated.

Species demarcation criteria

The genus currently only includes a single species.