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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.

01.025. Filoviridae

Cite this publication as: ICTVdB Management (2006). 01.025. Filoviridae. 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: 01.025. Virus accession number: 01025FAM. Obsolete virus code: 25.; superceded accession number: 25000000.
NCBI Taxon Identifier NCBI Taxonomy ID: 11266.

Name, Synonyms and Lineage

Virus is of the order 01. Mononegavirales.

Virion Properties

Morphology

Virions consist of an envelope, a nucleocapsid, a polymerase complex, and a matrix protein. Virus capsid is enveloped. Virions are filamentous, or pleomorphic, flexible with extensive branching. U- or 6-shaped and circular forms occur particularly after purification. Virions measure about 80 nm in diameter; greatly variable up to 1400 nm in length, or 790-970 nm in length (after purification). Surface projections are spaced widely apart, distinctive knob-shaped peplomers that cover evenly the surface and are embedded in a lipid bilayer. Surface projections are composed of one type of glycoproteins (GP), are 10 nm long and spaced 10 nm apart. Capsid/nucleocapsid is elongated and exhibits helical symmetry. The nucleocapsid is helical; is cross-striated and a width of 50 nm. Axial canal is distinct and 20 nm in diameter. Basic helix is obvious. Pitch of helix is 5 nm.

Morphologically aberrant forms are observed (after centrifugation).
















Electron micrographs of Filoviridae.

Physicochemical and Physical Properties

The molecular mass (Mr) of virions is 382 x 106. Virions have a buoyant density in CsCl of 1.32 g cm-3 (for nucleocapsids). The density of virions is 1.14 g cm-3 (in potassium tartrate gradient). The sedimentation coefficient is 1.4 S20w (for longer particles it is very high). The thermal inactivation point (TIP) is at about 60°C (after 30 min). Under in vitro conditions virions are relatively stable when stored at 15°C to 20°C; sensitivecanal is distinct; acid environment of pH 5 (hypochlorite, sensitivecanal is distinct; alkaline environment of pH 8 (quaternary ammonium salt). Virions are sensitive to treatment with lipid solvents, phenol (phenolic disinfectants), formaldehyde, and ß-propiolactone. The infectivity is reduced after exposure to irradiation (UV and gamma irradiation).

Nucleic Acid

The Mr of the genome constitutes 1.1% of the virion by weight. The genome is not segmented and contains a single molecule of linear negative-sense, single-stranded RNA. The complete genome is 18900-19000 nucleotides long. The RNA is sequenced, but only an estimate is available, complete sequence is 18900-19000 nucleotides long. Nucleotide sequences at the 3'-terminus are complementary to similar regions on the 5' end. The 5'-end of the negative-sense strand does not have a covalently attached terminal protein; genome does not have cap. The 3'-terminus has conserved nucleotide sequences (leader, in genera of same family. The 3'-terminus has no poly (A) tract.

GenBank records for nucleotide sequences; complete genome sequences.

Proteins

The viral genome encodes structural proteins and non-structural proteins. Virions consist of 5 structural protein(s) located in the envelope (surface glycoprotein), nucleocapsid (NP), polymerase complex (transcriptase-polymerase component and RNA-dependent RNA transcriptase-polymerase), matrix.

Structural Proteins: Envelope protein GP has a molecular mass of 74500-74800 Da. Envelope protein has a function assigned; is a glycoprotein and forming the viral spikes (in the form of trimers, during post-translational processing envelope protein modifications occur that include glycosylation (of the first small ORF yielding a soluble small glycoprotein sGP, not observed in Marburg virus). Nucleocapsid protein NP has a molecular mass of 77900-83300 Da; is binding to the genomic RNA. Nucleocapsid protein VP30; has a molecular mass of 29700-31500 Da. Matrix protein VP40; has a molecular mass of 31700-35800 Da. Matrix protein is a transmembrane protein, or a membrane-associated protein. Matrix protein VP24; has a molecular mass of 28300-28800 Da. Matrix protein is presumably transmembrane protein, or membrane-associated protein.

Lipids

Lipids are present and located in the envelope. The composition of viral lipids and host cell membranes are similar.

Genome Organization and Replication

By itself, genomic nucleic acid is not infectious.

Biological Properties

Natural Host

Virus infects during its life cycle a single type of vertebrate host. To this date no connection of virus spread with any vector could be established).
Domain
Viral hosts belong to the Domain Eucarya.

Domain Eucarya
Kingdom Animalia.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata.

Phylum Vertebrata
Subphylum Vertebrata; Class Mammalia.

Class Mammalia Order Primates;
Family Hominidae.
Virus infects Homo sapiens (human).

Taxonomic Structure of the Family

01.025.0.01. Marburgvirus
01.025.0.02. Ebolavirus.

Data Sources and Contributions

The description has been compiled from data in the ICTV Report presented by Netesov S. V., Feldmann, H., Jahrling, P. B., Klenk, H.-D., and Sanchez, A.

References

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

PubMed References. .



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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

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Last updated on 25 April 2006 by Cornelia Büchen-Osmond
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