[Home] [ICTV Taxonomy - Index of Viruses] [Virus Descriptions] [Character List] [Picture Gallery]
[Tutorial] [Online Data Retrieval & Identification] [Virus Isolate Registration & Submission] [Search]
Descriptions are generated automatically from the ICTVdB database including links. Some descriptions are only very basic and links may point to documents that are not yet published on the Web.

00.031. Herpesviridae

Cite this publication as: ICTVdB Management (2006). 00.031. Herpesviridae. In: ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database, version 3. Büchen-Osmond, C. (Ed), Columbia University, New York, USA

Cite this site as: ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database, version 4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/ICTVdB/

Table of Contents

Classification

This is a description of a vertebrate virus at the family level.

ICTVdB Virus Code: 00.031. Virus accession number: 00031FAM. Obsolete virus code: 31.; superceded accession number: 31000000.
NCBI Taxon Identifier NCBI Taxonomy ID: 10292.

Virion Properties

Morphology

Virions consist of an envelope, a tegument, a nucleocapsid, and a core. Virus capsid is enveloped. Virions are spherical to pleomorphic. Virions measure 120-200 nm in diameter. Surface projections are distinctive, densely dispersed spikes that cover evenly the surface. Teguments do not display a structure and proteins in variable amounts are arranged sometimes in an asymmetric layer located between envelope and capsid. Capsid/nucleocapsid is round and exhibits icosahedral symmetry (T=16). The capsid is isometric and has a diameter of 100-110 nm. Capsids appear hexagonal in outline. The capsomer arrangement is clearly visible. The capsid consists of 162 capsomers with a hexagonal base and a hole running half-way down the long axis. The core consists of a fibrillar spool on which the DNA is wrapped. The end of the fibers are anchored to the underside of the capsid shell.

Capsids can be penetrated by stain and some appear dark in the center (although intact envelope impermeable to stain). Incomplete particles are common. They are cores lacking capsid shells.
























Electron micrograph of 00.031.1.02.001. Human herpesvirus 3 (varicella zoster) by Frank Fenner, John Curtin School, Australian National University.
















Visualization of Tegument-Capsid Interactions and DNA in Intact Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 Virions Z. Hong Zhou, Dong Hua Chen, Joanita Jakana, Frazer J. Rixon, and Wah Chiu J. Virol. 1999. 73: 3210-3218.






























Capsid reconstruction of herpesvirus capsid from Virus World, Institute of Molecular Virology, Madison, WI.
Movie of reconstructed viruses can be found at Virus World, Institute of Molecular Virology, Madison, WI.

Physicochemical and Physical Properties

Virions have a buoyant density in CsCl of 1.15-1.29 g cm-3.

Nucleic Acid

The genome is not segmented and contains a single molecule of linear double-stranded DNA. The complete genome is 120000-220000 nucleotides long. The genome has a guanine + cytosine content of 35-75 %.

GenBank records for nucleotide sequences; complete genome sequences.

Proteins

The viral genome encodes structural proteins and non-structural proteins located in the envelope, capsid, and tegument.

Structural Proteins: Internal lipid membrane consists of several proteins.

Lipids

Lipids are present and located in the envelope. The composition of viral lipids is not exactly known. The lipids are of host origin and are derived from nuclear or host cell membranes.

Biological Properties

Natural Host

Virus infects during its life cycle a single type of vertebrate host.
Domain
Viral hosts belong to the Domain Eucarya.

Domain Eucarya
Kingdom Animalia.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata.

Phylum Vertebrata
Subphylum Vertebrata.

Class Mammalia, Aves, and Chondrichthyes.

Class Mammalia Order Primates, or Artiodactyla, or Rodentia;
Family Hominidae.
Virus infects Homo sapiens (human,
Family Bovidae: Subfamily Antilopinae.

Taxonomic Structure of the Family

00.031.1. Alphaherpesvirinae
00.031.2. Betaherpesvirinae
00.031.3. Gammaherpesvirinae.

Unassigned Viruses

List of Unassigned Viruses in the Family.

Data Sources and Contributions

The description has been compiled from data in the ICTV Report presented by Roizman B, Desrosiers RC, Fleckenstein B, Lopez C, Minson AC, Studdert MJ.

References

The following generic references are cited in the most recent ICTV Report.

PubMed References. Herpesvirus databank at the Wadsworth Center. A World Wide Web tutorial on this virus is provided by the Virology Departments, University of Leicester, UK: (

Images

Taxon images: • EM courtesy of Frank Fenner. • EM from Stewart McNulty, Queens University, Belfast.



Limit search to: Title & Body Title Document Path
Show Reverse Sort

DELTA - DEscription Language for TAxonomy developed by Dr Mike Dallwitz, Toni Paine and Eric Zurcher, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australia. ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database, developed for the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses by Dr Cornelia Büchen-Osmond is written in DELTA. The virus descriptions in ICTVdB are coded by, or using data from experts in the field of virology or members ICTV. The character list is the underlying code. All virus descriptions are based on the character list and natural language translations are automatically generated and formatted for display on the Web from the descriptions in DELTA-format. The description has been generated automatically from DELTA files. DELTA - DEscription Language for TAxonomy developed by Dr Mike Dallwitz, Toni Paine and Eric Zurcher, CSIRO Entomology, Canberra, Australia.

ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database, developed for the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) by Dr Cornelia Büchen-Osmond, is written in DELTA. The virus descriptions in ICTVdB are coded by ICTV members and experts, or by the ICTVdB Management using data provided by the experts, the literature or the latest ICTV Report. The character list is the underlying code. All virus descriptions are based on the character list and natural language translations from the encoded descriptions are automatically generated and formatted for display on the Web.

Developer of the DELTA software: M. J. Dallwitz, T. Paine and E. Zurcher

ICTVdB and DELTA related References

Comments to ICTVdB Management
Last updated on 25 April 2006 by Cornelia Büchen-Osmond
Copyright © 2002    International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.    All rights reserved.


Additional access points to virus species lists, descriptions and images on the web:

Species catalogue                     iSpecies.org - a species search engine           a species search engine

Google Analytics      Google Analytics: activity view