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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.

00.058. Poxviridae

Cite this publication as: ICTVdB Management (2006). 00.058. Poxviridae. In: ICTVdB - The Universal Virus Database, version 4. 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 an invertebrate or vertebrate virus at the family level.

ICTVdB Virus Code: 00.058. Virus accession number: 00058FAM. Obsolete virus code: 58.; superceded accession number: 58000000.
NCBI Taxon Identifier NCBI Taxonomy ID: 10240.

Virion Properties

Morphology

Virions consist of an envelope, a surface membrane, a core, and lateral bodies, or a surface membrane, a core, and lateral bodies. During their life cycle, virions produce extracellular particles and produce intracellular particles; can occur in two phenotypes; may be enveloped during their extracellular phase. The infection is initiated by extracellular virions. Virus may be sequestered within inclusion bodies that are not occluded and typically contain one nucleocapsid. Virus capsid is enveloped. Virions are generally ovoid and brick-shaped, or pleomorphic measuring 140-260 nm in diameter, or 160-190 nm in diameter (ovoid, 220-450 nm in length, or 250-300 nm in length (ovoid, 140-260 nm in height. Composed of an external coat containing lipid and tubular or globular protein structures enclosing one or two lateral bodies and a core, which contains the genome, dDisplaying tubular units, or globular units, or regular spiral filaments. The core is unilaterally concave, or is biconcave, or is cylindrical with one lateral body, or two lateral bodies. Lateral bodies are usually lens-shaped. Nested between the core membrane, or between the surface membrane.

Additional electron micrograph of Poxviridae are found in the Picture Gallery.

Physicochemical and Physical Properties

Virions have a buoyant density in CsCl of 1.23-1.27 g cm^-3.

Nucleic Acid

The genome is not segmented and contains a single molecule of linear double-stranded DNA. The complete genome is 130000-375000 nucleotides long. The genome has a guanine + cytosine content of 35-64 %, or 20 % (for Entomopoxviruses). The genome has terminally redundant sequences. The terminally redundant sequences have reiterated inverted terminal sequences which are tandemly repeated. The genome sequence is repeated at both ends. Double-stranded DNA is covalently. Double-stranded DNA is cross-linked at both ends.

GenBank records for nucleotide sequences; complete genome sequences.

Proteins

The viral genome encodes structural proteins and non-structural proteins.

Lipids

Lipids are present and located in the envelope. Virions are composed of 4% lipids by weight. The composition of viral lipids and host cell membranes are similar. The lipids are host derived and synthesized de novo (during the early phase of virus replication) and are derived from plasma membranes. Viral membranes include glycolipids.

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 and Arthropoda.

Phylum Vertebrata
Subphylum Vertebrata.

Class Mammalia and Aves.

Taxonomic Structure of the Family

00.058.1. Chordopoxvirinae
00.058.2. Entomopoxvirinae.

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 Esposito JJ, Baxby D, Black DN, Dales S, Darai G, Dumbell KR, Granados RR, Joklik WK, McFadden G, Moss B, Moyer RW, Pickup DJ, Robinson AJ, Tripathy DN.

References

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

PubMed References. 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. • EM from Stewart McNulty, Queens University, Belfast. • courtesy of M. Horzinek.

The description has been generated automatically from DELTA files.

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.

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