''Betairidovirinae'' is a subfamily of viruses in the family ''
Iridoviridae
''Iridoviridae'' is a family of viruses with double-stranded DNA genomes. Amphibians, fish, and invertebrates such as arthropods serve as natural hosts. There are currently 22 species in this family, divided among two subfamilies and seven genera ...
'' that was established in 2016. It is one of two subfamilies within this family, the other being ''
Alphairdovirinae''.
Most species within the ''Betairidovirinae'' are hosted by invertebrates, whereas all species within the ''Alphairdovirinae'' are hosted by '
cold-blooded' vertebrates (namely; fishes, amphibians, and reptiles). As such, viruses in this subfamily may be called invertebrate iridescent viruses (IIVs) or invertebrate iridoviruses.
Genera
The genus consists of the following four genera,
although many additional putative and partially characterised taxa are known:
* ''
Chloriridovirus
''Chloriridovirus'' is a genus of viruses, in the family ''Iridoviridae''. Diptera with aquatic larval stage, mainly mosquitoes, lepidoptera, and orthoptera insects serve as natural hosts. There are five species in this genus. Diseases associate ...
''
* ''
Daphniairidovirus''
* ''
Decapodiridovirus''
* ''
Iridovirus
''Iridovirus'' is a genus of viruses in the family ''Iridoviridae''. Arthropods serve as natural hosts. Currently, only two species are placed in this genus. Invertebrate iridescent virus 6 (IIV-6) was recognised as the type species until such ...
''
Hosts
The ''Betairidovirinae'' are hosted by invertebrates, but some research indicates they may hosted by vertebrates, and that at least one invertebrate-hosted iridovirus is actually more closely related to the ''Alphairdovirinae''. Most ''Betairidovirinae'' hosts are
arthropod
Arthropods ( ) are invertebrates in the phylum Arthropoda. They possess an arthropod exoskeleton, exoskeleton with a cuticle made of chitin, often Mineralization (biology), mineralised with calcium carbonate, a body with differentiated (Metam ...
s, especially insects and
woodlice
Woodlice are terrestrial isopods in the suborder Oniscidea. Their name is derived from being often found in old wood, and from louse, a parasitic insect, although woodlice are neither parasitic nor insects.
Woodlice evolved from marine isopods ...
, but other arthropods and even several non-arthropod hosts are known. Some viruses are hosted by a single host species; others are generalists that can infect multiple species.
Disease
Some species within this subfamily cause no externally obvious disease. Others cause a generalised reduction in fitness. Invertebrate iridoviral diseases are most noted for some species that cause iridescence in their hosts because
icosahedral
In geometry, an icosahedron ( or ) is a polyhedron with 20 faces. The name comes . The plural can be either "icosahedra" () or "icosahedrons".
There are infinitely many non- similar shapes of icosahedra, some of them being more symmetrical tha ...
virions may accumulate in high density in the tissues of the host, forming a
paracrystalline
In materials science, paracrystalline materials are defined as having short- and medium-range ordering in their lattice (similar to the liquid crystal phases) but lacking crystal-like long-range ordering at least in one direction.
Origin and d ...
array that reflects particular wavelengths of light. Iridescent blue is most common, but colours across the spectrum have been observed. Most species with smaller virions produce colours toward the violet side of the colour spectrum, whereas larger virions tend toward the red side.
See also
* ''
Cypovirus
''Cypovirus'', short for cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus, is a genus of double-stranded RNA viruses in the order ''Reovirales'' and family '' Spinareoviridae'', isolated solely from insects. Associated diseases include chronic diarrhoea and pale ...
'' – members of this genus may also cause iridescence
References
External links
*
iNaturalist– ''Betairidovirinae''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q29002081
Iridoviridae
Virus subfamilies