Iridoviridae (entomopathogens)
Authors: Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics
Source: ViralZone
Iridoviridae
This family contains large DNA viruses that infect vertebrates (fish, frogs and snakes) as well as invertebrates. The genus Iridovirus and the Invertebrate iridescent virus 6 (IIV-6) are the type genus and type species respectively. IIV-6 infects a diverse variety of insects with hosts belonging to the orders Lepidoptera, Diptera, Orthoptera or Coleoptera. The particles become inactivated quickly under dry conditions. Routes of infection are not well understood. Virulence is low after ingestion of the insect viruses. The family was named after the iridescent colour some infected insects display, due to the particles being arranged in a crystalline array.
The particles are icosahedral with a diameter of 120–350 nm. They have an internal lipid membrane between the core and the capsid (see diagram) and can be enveloped. The genome consist of linear, double stranded DNA with a size of 140-303 kb. The viruses have been assigned to 2 subfamilies, the Alphairidovirinae (with vertebrate hosts) and the Betairidovirinae (with invertebrate hosts, e.g. see Williams 2008).
For a review of the family see Ince et al. (2018).
The following genera and individual species are currently entered under Iridoviridae:
