Coronavirus
Encyclopedia
Coronaviruses are species in the genera of virus
belonging to the subfamily Coronavirinae in the family Coronaviridae
. Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses with a positive-sense
single-stranded RNA
genome
and a helical symmetry. The genomic size of coronaviruses ranges from approximately 16 to 31 kilobases, extraordinarily large for an RNA virus. The name "coronavirus" is derived from the Greek κορώνα, meaning crown, as the virus envelope appears under electron microscopy (E.M.) to be crowned by a characteristic ring of small bulbous structures. This morphology
is actually formed by the viral spike (S) peplomer
s, which are proteins that populate the surface of the virus and determine host tropism
. Coronaviruses are grouped in the order Nidovirales
, named for the Latin nidus, meaning nest, as all viruses in this order produce a 3' co-terminal nested set of subgenomic mRNA's during infection.
Proteins that contribute to the overall structure of all coronaviruses are the spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M) and nucleocapsid (N). In the specific case of SARS (see below), a defined receptor-binding domain on S mediates the attachment of the virus to its cellular receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2
(ACE2). Members of the group 2 coronaviruses also have a shorter spike-like protein called hemagglutinin esterase (HE) encoded in their genome, but for some reason this protein is not always brought to expression (produced) in the cell.
of mammals and birds. Four to five different currently known strains of coronaviruses infect humans. The most publicized human coronavirus, SARS-CoV
which causes SARS
, has a unique pathogenesis because it causes both upper and lower respiratory tract infections and can also cause gastroenteritis
. Coronaviruses are believed to cause a significant percentage of all common cold
s in human adults. Coronaviruses cause colds in humans primarily in the winter and early spring seasons. The significance and economic impact of coronaviruses as causative agents of the common cold are hard to assess because, unlike rhinovirus
es (another common cold virus), human coronaviruses are difficult to grow in the laboratory.
Coronaviruses also cause a range of diseases in farm animals and domesticated pets, some of which can be serious and are a threat to the farming industry. Economically significant coronaviruses of farm animals include porcine coronavirus (transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus
, TGE) and bovine coronavirus, which both result in diarrhea
in young animals. Feline Coronavirus: 2 forms, Feline enteric coronavirus is a pathogen of minor clinical significance, but spontaneous mutation of this virus can result in feline infectious peritonitis
(FIP), a disease associated with high mortality. There are two types of canine coronavirus
(CCoV), one that causes mild gastrointestinal disease and one that has been found to cause respiratory disease. Mouse hepatitis virus
(MHV) is a coronavirus that causes an epidemic murine
illness with high mortality, especially among colonies of laboratory mice. Prior to the discovery of SARS-CoV, MHV had been the best-studied coronavirus both in vivo and in vitro as well as at the molecular level. Some strains of MHV cause a progressive demyelinating encephalitis in mice which has been used as a murine model for multiple sclerosis
. Significant research efforts have been focused on elucidating the viral pathogenesis
of these animal coronaviruses, especially by virologists interested in veterinary and zoonotic diseases.
Replication of Coronavirus begins with entry to the cell takes place in the cytoplasm
in a membrane-protected microenvironment, upon entry to the cell the virus particle is uncoated and the RNA genome is deposited into the cytoplasm. The Coronavirus genome has a 5’ methylated cap and a 3’polyadenylated-A tail to make it look as much like the host RNA as possible. This also allows the RNA to attach to ribosomes for translation. Coronaviruses also have a protein known as a replicase encoded in its genome which allows the RNA viral genome to be transcribed into new RNA copies using the host cells machinery. The replicase is the first protein to be made as once the gene encoding the replicase is translated the translation is stopped by a stop codon. This is known as a nested transcript, where the transcript only encodes one gene- it is monocistronic. The RNA genome is replicated and a long polyprotein is formed, where all of the proteins are attached. Coronaviruses have a non-structural protein called a protease which is able to separate the proteins in the chain. This is a form of genetic economy for the virus allowing it to encode the most amounts of genes in a small amount of nucleotides.
Coronavirus transcription involves a discontinuous RNA
synthesis (template switch) during the extension of a negative copy of the subgenomic mRNAs. Basepairing during transcription is a requirement. Coronavirus N protein is required for coronavirus RNA
synthesis, and has RNA chaperone activity that may be involved in template switch. Both viral and cellular proteins are required for replication and transcription. Coronaviruses initiate translation by cap-dependent and cap-independent mechanisms. Cell macromolecular synthesis may be controlled after Coronavirus infection by locating some virus proteins in the host cell nucleus. Infection by different coronaviruses cause in the host alteration in the transcription and translation patterns, in the cell cycle, the cytoskeleton
, apoptosis
and coagulation
pathways, inflammation
, and immune and stress responses.
(SARS) which had begun the prior year in Asia, and secondary cases elsewhere in the world, the World Health Organization
issued a press release stating that a novel coronavirus identified by a number of laboratories was the causative agent for SARS. The virus was officially named the SARS coronavirus
(SARS-CoV).
The SARS epidemic resulted in over 8000 infections, about 10% of which resulted in death. X-ray crystallography
studies performed at the Advanced Light Source
of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
have begun to give hope of a vaccine
against the disease "since [the spike protein] appears to be recognized by the immune system of the host."
. For many years, scientists knew only about the existence of two human coronaviruses (HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43). The discovery of SARS-CoV added another human coronavirus to the list. By the end of 2004, three independent research labs reported the discovery of a fourth human coronavirus. It has been named NL63, NL or the New Haven coronavirus by the different research groups. The naming of this fourth coronavirus is still a controversial issue, because the three labs are still battling over who actually discovered the virus first and hence earns the right to name the virus. Early in 2005, a research team at the University of Hong Kong reported finding a fifth human coronavirus in two pneumonia
patients, and subsequently named it HKU1.
In April 2008, the following proposals were ratified by the ICTV:
In July 2009, the following proposals were ratified by the ICTV:
A fourth genus Deltacoronavirus which includes BuCoV HKU11, ThCoV HKU12 and MunCoV HKU13 has also bene proposed but have not yet been ratified by the ICTV.
Virus
A virus is a small infectious agent that can replicate only inside the living cells of organisms. Viruses infect all types of organisms, from animals and plants to bacteria and archaea...
belonging to the subfamily Coronavirinae in the family Coronaviridae
Coronaviridae
Coronaviruses are enveloped, single-stranded, positive-sense RNA viruses with club-shaped surface about 120-160 nm in diameter that resemble a “corona”.-Virology:...
. Coronaviruses are enveloped viruses with a positive-sense
Sense (molecular biology)
In molecular biology and genetics, sense is a concept used to compare the polarity of nucleic acid molecules, such as DNA or RNA, to other nucleic acid molecules...
single-stranded RNA
RNA
Ribonucleic acid , or RNA, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life....
genome
Genome
In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....
and a helical symmetry. The genomic size of coronaviruses ranges from approximately 16 to 31 kilobases, extraordinarily large for an RNA virus. The name "coronavirus" is derived from the Greek κορώνα, meaning crown, as the virus envelope appears under electron microscopy (E.M.) to be crowned by a characteristic ring of small bulbous structures. This morphology
Morphology (biology)
In biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
is actually formed by the viral spike (S) peplomer
Peplomer
A peplomer is a glycoprotein spike on a viral capsid or viral envelope. These protrusions will only bind to certain receptors on the host cell: they are essential for both host specificity and viral infectivity...
s, which are proteins that populate the surface of the virus and determine host tropism
Host tropism
Host tropism is the name given a process of tropism that determines which cells can become infected by a given pathogen. Various factors determine the ability of a pathogen to infect a particular cell. Viruses, for example, must bind to specific cell surface receptors to enter a cell...
. Coronaviruses are grouped in the order Nidovirales
Nidovirales
The Nidovirales are an order of viruses with animal hosts. It includes the families Coronaviridae, Arterivirus and Roniviridae.-Virology:...
, named for the Latin nidus, meaning nest, as all viruses in this order produce a 3' co-terminal nested set of subgenomic mRNA's during infection.
Proteins that contribute to the overall structure of all coronaviruses are the spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M) and nucleocapsid (N). In the specific case of SARS (see below), a defined receptor-binding domain on S mediates the attachment of the virus to its cellular receptor, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2
Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2
Angiotensin I converting enzyme 2 is an exopeptidase that catalyses the conversion of angiotensin I to the nonapeptide angiotensin[1-9]., or the conversion of angiotensin II to angiotensin 1-7...
(ACE2). Members of the group 2 coronaviruses also have a shorter spike-like protein called hemagglutinin esterase (HE) encoded in their genome, but for some reason this protein is not always brought to expression (produced) in the cell.
Diseases of coronavirus
Coronaviruses primarily infect the upper respiratory and gastrointestinal tractGastrointestinal tract
The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. ....
of mammals and birds. Four to five different currently known strains of coronaviruses infect humans. The most publicized human coronavirus, SARS-CoV
SARS coronavirus
The SARS coronavirus, sometimes shortened to SARS-CoV, is the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome . On April 16, 2003, following the outbreak of SARS in Asia and secondary cases elsewhere in the world, the World Health Organization issued a press release stating that the...
which causes SARS
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a respiratory disease in humans which is caused by the SARS coronavirus . Between November 2002 and July 2003 an outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong nearly became a pandemic, with 8,422 cases and 916 deaths worldwide according to the WHO...
, has a unique pathogenesis because it causes both upper and lower respiratory tract infections and can also cause gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis
Gastroenteritis is marked by severe inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract involving both the stomach and small intestine resulting in acute diarrhea and vomiting. It can be transferred by contact with contaminated food and water...
. Coronaviruses are believed to cause a significant percentage of all common cold
Common cold
The common cold is a viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory system, caused primarily by rhinoviruses and coronaviruses. Common symptoms include a cough, sore throat, runny nose, and fever...
s in human adults. Coronaviruses cause colds in humans primarily in the winter and early spring seasons. The significance and economic impact of coronaviruses as causative agents of the common cold are hard to assess because, unlike rhinovirus
Rhinovirus
Human rhinoviruses are the most common viral infective agents in humans and are the predominant cause of the common cold. Rhinovirus infection proliferates in temperatures between 33–35 °C , and this may be why it occurs primarily in the nose...
es (another common cold virus), human coronaviruses are difficult to grow in the laboratory.
Coronaviruses also cause a range of diseases in farm animals and domesticated pets, some of which can be serious and are a threat to the farming industry. Economically significant coronaviruses of farm animals include porcine coronavirus (transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus
Transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus
Transmissible Gastroenteritis Coronavirus is a species of animal virus belonging to the family Coronaviridae. TGEV are enveloped viruses with a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome and a helical symmetry...
, TGE) and bovine coronavirus, which both result in diarrhea
Diarrhea
Diarrhea , also spelled diarrhoea, is the condition of having three or more loose or liquid bowel movements per day. It is a common cause of death in developing countries and the second most common cause of infant deaths worldwide. The loss of fluids through diarrhea can cause dehydration and...
in young animals. Feline Coronavirus: 2 forms, Feline enteric coronavirus is a pathogen of minor clinical significance, but spontaneous mutation of this virus can result in feline infectious peritonitis
Feline infectious peritonitis
Feline infectious peritonitis is a fatal incurable disease that affects cats. It is believed by some to be caused by Feline Infectious Peritonitis Virus , which is a mutation of Feline Enteric Coronavirus - . Although there appears to be a connection between FIP and feline coronavirus, no clear...
(FIP), a disease associated with high mortality. There are two types of canine coronavirus
Canine coronavirus
Canine coronavirus is a virus of the family Coronaviridae that causes a highly contagious intestinal disease worldwide in dogs. It was discovered in 1971 in Germany during an outbreak in sentry dogs.-Pathology:...
(CCoV), one that causes mild gastrointestinal disease and one that has been found to cause respiratory disease. Mouse hepatitis virus
Mouse hepatitis virus
Mouse hepatitis virus is a virus of the family Coronaviridae, genus coronavirus.Mouse hepatitis virus is a coronavirus that causes an epidemic murine illness with high mortality, especially among colonies of laboratory mice. Prior to the discovery of SARS-CoV, MHV had been the best-studied...
(MHV) is a coronavirus that causes an epidemic murine
Murinae
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. This subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the...
illness with high mortality, especially among colonies of laboratory mice. Prior to the discovery of SARS-CoV, MHV had been the best-studied coronavirus both in vivo and in vitro as well as at the molecular level. Some strains of MHV cause a progressive demyelinating encephalitis in mice which has been used as a murine model for multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. Significant research efforts have been focused on elucidating the viral pathogenesis
Viral pathogenesis
Viral pathogenesis is the study of how biological viruses cause diseases in their target hosts, usually carried out at the cellular or molecular level. It is a specialized field of study in virology.-See also:*pathogen*pathogenesis...
of these animal coronaviruses, especially by virologists interested in veterinary and zoonotic diseases.
Replication
Cytoplasm
The cytoplasm is a small gel-like substance residing between the cell membrane holding all the cell's internal sub-structures , except for the nucleus. All the contents of the cells of prokaryote organisms are contained within the cytoplasm...
in a membrane-protected microenvironment, upon entry to the cell the virus particle is uncoated and the RNA genome is deposited into the cytoplasm. The Coronavirus genome has a 5’ methylated cap and a 3’polyadenylated-A tail to make it look as much like the host RNA as possible. This also allows the RNA to attach to ribosomes for translation. Coronaviruses also have a protein known as a replicase encoded in its genome which allows the RNA viral genome to be transcribed into new RNA copies using the host cells machinery. The replicase is the first protein to be made as once the gene encoding the replicase is translated the translation is stopped by a stop codon. This is known as a nested transcript, where the transcript only encodes one gene- it is monocistronic. The RNA genome is replicated and a long polyprotein is formed, where all of the proteins are attached. Coronaviruses have a non-structural protein called a protease which is able to separate the proteins in the chain. This is a form of genetic economy for the virus allowing it to encode the most amounts of genes in a small amount of nucleotides.
Coronavirus transcription involves a discontinuous RNA
RNA
Ribonucleic acid , or RNA, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life....
synthesis (template switch) during the extension of a negative copy of the subgenomic mRNAs. Basepairing during transcription is a requirement. Coronavirus N protein is required for coronavirus RNA
RNA
Ribonucleic acid , or RNA, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life....
synthesis, and has RNA chaperone activity that may be involved in template switch. Both viral and cellular proteins are required for replication and transcription. Coronaviruses initiate translation by cap-dependent and cap-independent mechanisms. Cell macromolecular synthesis may be controlled after Coronavirus infection by locating some virus proteins in the host cell nucleus. Infection by different coronaviruses cause in the host alteration in the transcription and translation patterns, in the cell cycle, the cytoskeleton
Cytoskeleton
The cytoskeleton is a cellular "scaffolding" or "skeleton" contained within a cell's cytoplasm and is made out of protein. The cytoskeleton is present in all cells; it was once thought to be unique to eukaryotes, but recent research has identified the prokaryotic cytoskeleton...
, apoptosis
Apoptosis
Apoptosis is the process of programmed cell death that may occur in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes and death. These changes include blebbing, cell shrinkage, nuclear fragmentation, chromatin condensation, and chromosomal DNA fragmentation...
and coagulation
Coagulation
Coagulation is a complex process by which blood forms clots. It is an important part of hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, wherein a damaged blood vessel wall is covered by a platelet and fibrin-containing clot to stop bleeding and begin repair of the damaged vessel...
pathways, inflammation
Inflammation
Inflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
, and immune and stress responses.
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
In 2003, following the outbreak of Severe acute respiratory syndromeSevere acute respiratory syndrome
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome is a respiratory disease in humans which is caused by the SARS coronavirus . Between November 2002 and July 2003 an outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong nearly became a pandemic, with 8,422 cases and 916 deaths worldwide according to the WHO...
(SARS) which had begun the prior year in Asia, and secondary cases elsewhere in the world, the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
issued a press release stating that a novel coronavirus identified by a number of laboratories was the causative agent for SARS. The virus was officially named the SARS coronavirus
SARS coronavirus
The SARS coronavirus, sometimes shortened to SARS-CoV, is the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome . On April 16, 2003, following the outbreak of SARS in Asia and secondary cases elsewhere in the world, the World Health Organization issued a press release stating that the...
(SARS-CoV).
The SARS epidemic resulted in over 8000 infections, about 10% of which resulted in death. X-ray crystallography
X-ray crystallography
X-ray crystallography is a method of determining the arrangement of atoms within a crystal, in which a beam of X-rays strikes a crystal and causes the beam of light to spread into many specific directions. From the angles and intensities of these diffracted beams, a crystallographer can produce a...
studies performed at the Advanced Light Source
Advanced Light Source
The Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California is a synchrotron light source. Built from 1987 to 1993, it currently employs 210 scientists and staff. Part of the building in which it is housed was completed in 1942 for a 4.67 m cyclotron, designed by...
of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting unclassified scientific research. It is located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Hills above the central campus...
have begun to give hope of a vaccine
Vaccine
A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...
against the disease "since [the spike protein] appears to be recognized by the immune system of the host."
Recent discoveries of novel human coronaviruses
Following the high-profile publicity of SARS outbreaks, there has been a renewed interest in coronaviruses in the field of virologyVirology
Virology is the study of viruses and virus-like agents: their structure, classification and evolution, their ways to infect and exploit cells for virus reproduction, the diseases they cause, the techniques to isolate and culture them, and their use in research and therapy...
. For many years, scientists knew only about the existence of two human coronaviruses (HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43). The discovery of SARS-CoV added another human coronavirus to the list. By the end of 2004, three independent research labs reported the discovery of a fourth human coronavirus. It has been named NL63, NL or the New Haven coronavirus by the different research groups. The naming of this fourth coronavirus is still a controversial issue, because the three labs are still battling over who actually discovered the virus first and hence earns the right to name the virus. Early in 2005, a research team at the University of Hong Kong reported finding a fifth human coronavirus in two pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
patients, and subsequently named it HKU1.
Taxonomy
- Genus: Alphacoronavirus; type species: Alphacoronavirus 1
- Species: Alphacoronavirus 1, Human coronavirus 229E, Human coronavirus NL63Human Coronavirus NL63Human Coronavirus NL63 or HCoV-NL63 is a virus that was identified in 2003 in a child with bronchiolitis in the Netherlands.Recent reports from several countries indicate that the virus has spread worldwide...
, Miniopterus Bat coronavirus 1, Miniopterus Bat coronavirus HKU8, Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, Rhinolophus Bat coronavirus HKU2, Scotophilus Bat coronavirus 512
- Species: Alphacoronavirus 1, Human coronavirus 229E, Human coronavirus NL63
- Genus Betacoronavirus; type species: Murine coronavirus
- Species: Betacoronavirus 1, Human coronavirus HKU1, Murine coronavirus, Pipistrellus Bat coronavirus HKU5, Rousettus Bat coronavirus HKU9, Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus, Tylonycteris Bat coronavirus HKU4
- Genus Gammacoronavirus; type species: Avian coronavirus
- Species: Avian coronavirus, Beluga whale coronavirus SW1
In April 2008, the following proposals were ratified by the ICTV:
- 2005.260V.04 To create the following species in the genus Coronavirus in the family Coronaviridae, named Goose coronavirus, Pigeon coronavirus, Duck coronavirus.
- 2006.009V.04 To create a species in the genus Coronavirus in the family Coronaviridae, named Human coronavirus NL63.
- 2006.010V.04 To create a species in the genus Coronavirus in the family Coronaviridae, named Human coronavirus HKU1.
- 2006.011V.04 To create a species in the genus Coronavirus in the family Coronaviridae, named Equine coronavirus.
In July 2009, the following proposals were ratified by the ICTV:
- 2008.085-122V.A.v3.Coronaviridae
- 2008.085V Create a new subfamily in the family Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales
- 2008.086V Name the new subfamily Coronavirinae
- 2008.087V Create a new genus in the proposed subfamily Coronavirinae
- 2008.088V Name the new genus Alphacoronavirus
- 2008.089V Assign three existing species (Human coronavirus 229E, Human coronavirus NL63, Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus) and five new species proposed in 2008.091-095V.01 to the proposed new genus Alphacoronavirus
- 2008.090V Designate proposed species Alphacoronavirus 1 as type species of the genus Alphacoronavirus
- 2008.091V Create new species named Alphacoronavirus 1 in the new genus
- 2008.092V Create new species named Rhinolophus bat coronavirus HKU2 in the new genus
- 2008.093V Create new species named Scotophilus bat coronavirus 512 in the new genus
- 2008.094V Create new species named Miniopterus bat coronavirus 1 in the new genus
- 2008.095V Create new species named Miniopterus bat coronavirus HKU8 in the new genus
- 2008.096V Create a new genus in the proposed subfamily Coronavirinae
- 2008.097V Name the new genus Betacoronavirus
- 2008.098V Assign the existing species Human coronavirus HKU1 and six new species proposed in
- 2008.100-105V.01 to the proposed genus Betacoronavirus
- 2008.099V Designate proposed species Murine coronavirus as type species of the genus Betacoronavirus
- 2008.108V Assign the two species proposed in 2008.110,111V.01 to the new genus
- 2008.109V Designate proposed species Avian coronavirus as type species of the new genus
- 2008.110V Create species named Avian coronavirus in the new genus
- 2008.111V Create species named Beluga whale coronavirus SW1 in the new genus
- 2008.112V Create a new subfamily in the family Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales
- 2008.113V Name the new subfamily Torovirinae
- 2008.114V Create a new genus in the subfamily Torovirinae
- 2008.115V Name the new genus Bafinivirus
- 2008.116V Assign the species White breamVirus (proposed in 2008.118V.01) to the new genus
- 2008.117V Designate species White bream virus as type species in the new genus
- 2008.118V Create species named White bream virus in the new genus
- 2008.119V Remove the genus Torovirus from the family Coronaviridae
- 2008.120V Reassign the genus Torovirus to the subfamily Torovirinae
- 2008.121V.U Remove (abolish) 18 species (Human enteric coronavirus, Human coronavirus OC43, Bovine coronavirus, Porcine hemagglutinating encephalomyelitis virus, Equine coronavirus, Murine hepatitis virus, Puffinosis coronavirus, Rat coronavirus, Transmissible gastroenteritis virus, Canine coronavirus, Feline coronavirus, Infectious bronchitis virus, Duck coronavirus, Goose coronavirus, Pheasant coronavirus, Pigeon coronavirus, Turkey coronavirus, Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus) from the genus Coronavirus
- 2008.122V.U Reassign species Human coronavirus 229E, Human coronavirus NL63 and Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus to the new genus Alphacoronavirus and Human coronavirus HKU1 to the new genus Betacoronavirus
A fourth genus Deltacoronavirus which includes BuCoV HKU11, ThCoV HKU12 and MunCoV HKU13 has also bene proposed but have not yet been ratified by the ICTV.
External links
- Virus Pathogen Database and Analysis Resource (ViPR): Coronaviridae
- German Research Foundation (Coronavirus Consortium)