Rhabdoviridae

Taxonomic Structure of the Genus

The viruses in the Vesiculovirus genus exhibit various degrees of cross-neutralisation. They cross-react in CF and immunofluorescence tests. Genomic sequence analyses indicate sequence similarities. Higher homologies are observed between the N genes by comparison to the G genes. Apart from the vesicular stomatitis viruses, no serogroups have been established within the genus.

The ICTVdB virus code and the viruses. Species names are in italics. Tentative virus species names, alternative names (synonym), isolates, strains, serotypes, subspecies, or rejected names are not italicized.

  Virus codes, virus names, arthropod vector and host names { }, serotypes, genome sequence accession numbers [ ] and assigned abbreviations ( ), are:

Taxonomic Structure of the Genus

At present, broadly cross-reacting antigenic sites on the N protein, as recognised by immunofluorescence and complement fixation, determine placement within the Lyssavirus genus. More specific antigenic sites on the G protein, as recognised in neutralisation tests, determine the placement of a virus isolate as rabies or rabies-related. Cross-neutralisation by Rabies virus antisera may be moderate (EBV-1, EBV-2, DUVV), to very low (LBV, MOKV), to none (KOTV, OBOV, RBUV). Only one serogroup within the genus has been established. However, the taxonomic significance of the antigenic data is not known. BEFV, which has previously been linked to the lyssaviruses by such data, exhibit greater sequence similarities (albeit distant) to vesiculoviruses than to lyssaviruses. In view of the BEFV results, the postulated assignments of some viruses (KOTV, OBOV, RBUV) to the genus remains to be confirmed. Sequence data are only available for a few lyssaviruses.

The ICTVdB virus code and the viruses. Species names are in italics. Tentative virus species names, alternative names (synonym), isolates, strains, serotypes, subspecies, or rejected names are not italicized.

  Virus codes, virus names, arthropod vector and host names { }, serotypes, genome sequence accession numbers [ ] and assigned abbreviations ( ), are:

Taxonomic Structure of the Genus

Viruses in the Ephemerovirus genus exhibit low to no cross-neutralisation. They cross-react strongly in CF or indirect immunofluorescence tests and may show low level cross-reactions by indirect immuno-fluorescence with viruses of the genus Lyssavirus. No serogroups within the genus have been established. Sequence comparisons with other rhabdoviruses indicate that in evolutionary terms the ephemeroviruses are closer to members of the genus Vesiculovirus than to those of other defined genera in the family.

The ICTVdB virus code and the viruses. Species names are in italics. Tentative virus species names, alternative names (synonym), isolates, strains, serotypes, subspecies, or rejected names are not italicized.

  Virus codes, virus names, arthropod vector and host names { }, serotypes, genome sequence accession numbers [ ] and assigned abbreviations ( ), are:

The ICTVdB virus code and the viruses. Species names are in italics. Tentative virus species names, alternative names (synonym), isolates, strains, serotypes, subspecies, or rejected names are not italicized.

  Virus codes, virus names, arthropod vector and host names { }, serotypes, genome sequence accession numbers [ ] and assigned abbreviations ( ), are:

Taxonomic Structure of the Genus

The viruses have not been assigned to groups.

List of Unassigned Viruses in the Family

01.062.0.00.100. Unassigned Inertebrate Rhabdoviruses

There are at least six serogroups of rhabdoviruses that infect animals that have not been assigned to an existing genus and there are a number of ungrouped viruses. IHN disease of salmonids and VHS disease of trout cause epidemics involving high mortalities in young fish in North America, Europe, and Japan. IHNV contains a large G-L intergenic region. IHNV also encodes a 6th protein, designated NV (non-viral). Its function is not known. Sigma virus is transmitted vertically through the germinal cells of Drosophila species and confers CO2-sensitivity to infected insects. Both host and viral genes contribute to the maintenance of the virus in the host. Sigma encodes a 6th gene located between the P and M genes. The function of this gene is not known. The intergenic regions of the virus are variable (up to 36 nt in length) and one gene (M) overlaps that of the following gene (G). For most of the other listed viruses, no biochemical characterisation has been reported. Their assignment to the family relies on the distinctive morphology of rhabdoviruses.

List of Species in the Family

The ICTVdB virus code, the groups and viruses, their alternative names ( ), vector { }, genomic sequence accession numbers [ ] and assigned abbreviations ( ) are:

01.062.0.00.200. Unassigned Vertebrate Rhabdoviruses

List of Species in the Family

The ICTVdB virus code, the groups and viruses, their alternative names ( ), vector { }, genomic sequence accession numbers [ ] and assigned abbreviations ( ) are:

01.062.0.00.300. Unassigned Plant Rhabdoviruses

There are many plant rhabdoviruses that have not been assigned to a genus. Their assignment to the family relies on the distinctive morphology of rhabdoviruses. Some have been transmitted experimentally. However, none has been characterised physicochemically.

List of Species in the Family

The ICTVdB virus code, the groups and viruses, their alternative names ( ), vector { }, genomic sequence accession numbers [ ] and assigned abbreviations ( ) are:

Similarity with Other Taxa

Rhabdoviruses share several features with viruses of the Filoviridae and Paramyxoviridae families in the Order Mononegavirales. Features they have in common include the unsegmented negative sense, single-stranded, non-infectious RNA genome, the helical nucleocapsid, the initiation of primary transcription by a virion-associated RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, similar gene order, and single 3' promoter with short terminal untranscribed regions and intergenic regions. The virions are large enveloped structures with a prominent fringe of spikes. They replicate in the cytoplasm and mature by budding, predominantly from the plasma membrane with the exception of Rabies virus, which buds occasionally from internal membranes and plant rhabdoviruses of the Genus Nucleorhabdovirus genus, which bud from the inner nuclear membrane. They transcribe discrete unprocessed messenger RNAs.

Derivation of Name

Cyto: from Greek kytos, "cell"
Ephemero: from Greek
ephemeros, "short-lived"
Lyssa: from Greek lyssa "rage, fury, canine madness"
Novi: sigla from "non-virion" protein
Nucleo: from Latin nux, nucis, "nut"
Rhabdo: from Greek rhabdos, "rod"
Vesiculo: from Latin vesicula, diminutive of vesica, "bladder, blister"

Contributed by

Walker, P.J., Benmansour, A., Dietzgen, R.G., Fang, R.-X., Jackson, A.O., Kurath, G., Leong, J.C., Nadin-Davies, S., Tesh, R.B., and Tordo, N.