Wound tumor virus
Encyclopedia
Wound tumor virus is an invertebrate and plant virus found in the United States of America belonging to the genus Phytoreoviridae and the family Reoviridae
. The virus is a Type III virus under the Baltimore classification system
; that is it has a double-stranded RNA genome. This genome is approximately 25,000 base pairs long and organised into twelve segments. All the viral replication occurs in the cytoplasm. The virus is 22% RNA by weight, the other 78% being structural proteins.
Structurally, the virus is constructed from 7 different structural proteins. The capsid has icosahedral symmetry, is non-enveloped and around 70 nm in diameter. There is an inner-shell with a diameter of around 50 nm.
More than 50 species of plants are potential hosts for Wound tumor virus. It was first reported in Melilotus officinalis
. The virus causes tumors to form on the plant at the stem and roots – with the root tumors being more severe.
The virus is spread by an insect vector – the Leaf hopper family, notably 'Agallia constricta'. Since viral replication occurs relatively independently of cellular processes, the virus also replicates in the insect vector.
Reoviridae
Reoviridae is a family of viruses that can affect the gastrointestinal system and respiratory tract. Viruses in the family Reoviridae have genomes consisting of segmented, double-stranded RNA...
. The virus is a Type III virus under the Baltimore classification system
Baltimore classification
The Baltimore classification, developed by David Baltimore, is a virus classification system that groups viruses into families, depending on their type of genome and their method of replication....
; that is it has a double-stranded RNA genome. This genome is approximately 25,000 base pairs long and organised into twelve segments. All the viral replication occurs in the cytoplasm. The virus is 22% RNA by weight, the other 78% being structural proteins.
Structurally, the virus is constructed from 7 different structural proteins. The capsid has icosahedral symmetry, is non-enveloped and around 70 nm in diameter. There is an inner-shell with a diameter of around 50 nm.
More than 50 species of plants are potential hosts for Wound tumor virus. It was first reported in Melilotus officinalis
Melilotus officinalis
Melilotus officinalis, known as the yellow sweet clover, yellow melilot, ribbed melilot or common melilot is a species of legume native to Eurasia and introduced in North America, Africa and Australia.-Description:...
. The virus causes tumors to form on the plant at the stem and roots – with the root tumors being more severe.
The virus is spread by an insect vector – the Leaf hopper family, notably 'Agallia constricta'. Since viral replication occurs relatively independently of cellular processes, the virus also replicates in the insect vector.