Rhabdoviruses, Lipoprotein Envelope, Nucleocapsid, Vesicular Stomatitis, Viral Membranes, Nonglycosylated, Glycosylated, Nucleocapsid

Rhabdoviruses

	Rhabdoviruses - The rhabdoviruses are infectious agents of plant and animal diseases which are generally transmitted by arthropods. The particles are rod shaped, and vary in length from 60-400 nm, but have a more or Jess consistent width (60-85) Dm. Animal rhabdoviruses tend to be bullet shaped, while plant rhabdoviruses are usually bacilliform, with two rounded ends. A membranous envelope with protruding spikes surrounds all rhabdoviruses. Inside the envelope is a ribonucleocapsid (RNC) core which appears striated.
Rhabdoviruses contain one molecule of ssRNA which by it self is not infectious (negative strand). Many rhabdoviruses contain an RNA dependent RNA polymerase. Defected truncated (T), non infectious virions are commonly found in both plant and animal rhabdoviruses. One-third to-two-thirds of the RNA of such virions are deleted. Plant rhabdoviruses are of economic importance as they infect variety of plants. They are frequently transmitted by insect vectors such as leafhoppers and aphids. All rhabdoviruses contain L, G, N and M proteins. The L (large) protein is located in the viral nucleocapsid and serves as the endogenous RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.
The G (glycosylated) protein forms the spikes covering the surface. The N (nucleocapsid) protein is the major component of the nucleocapsid. This structural protein is tightly complexed with virion RNA to form RNC. The M (matrix) protein is an integral nonglycosylated component of vesicular stomatitis viral membranes. Along with the lipids it serves as a matrix to form the basic lipoprotein envelope.

Index >>Plant Viruses >>Rhabdoviruses

Rhabdoviruses