Family: Picornaviridae

Genus: Diresapivirus

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 (Wu et al., 2016): c. 7,050 nt (5′-UTR: >337 nt; ORF: 6,501–6,624 nt; 3′-UTR: 87–98 nt). The location of the cre has not been identified. 

Genome organization and replication

Genome layout:

VPg+5′-UTR^IRES-[1A-1B-1C-1D/2A^pro-2B-2C/3A-3B-3C-3D]-3′-UTR-poly(A)

The deduced polyprotein is of 2,167–2,208 amino acids. There is no L protein. The 2A protein has been proposed to be a chymotrypsin-like protease. 

Biology

No virus has been isolated. Viral RNA was detected in pharyngeal and anal swabs of bats (Rhinolophus affinis, R. ferrumequinum, R. lepidus, Nyctalus velutinus). 

Derivation of names

Diresapivirus: derived from acronym "distant relatives of rabo-, entero-, sapelo-, anativiruses" and picornavirus

Species demarcation criteria

Members of a species of the genus Diresapivirus:

• are less than 30% divergent in polyprotein aa sequence
• are less than 40% divergent in P1 aa sequence
• are less than 35% divergent in 2C+3CD aa sequence
• share a common genome organization

Related, unclassified viruses

Virus names and virus abbreviations are not official ICTV designations. 

* partial genome