Drosophila C virus belongs to the genus Cripavirus

Cripavirus

Cripaviruses are a genus of + sense, single-stranded RNA viruses. If a ssRNA virus is +sense, it means that the viruses can produce proteins directly from their RNA genome upon entering a cell; and therefore, may not require an RNA polymerase packaged in with it, as this may be produced from the...

and was previously thought to be a member of the virus family Picornaviridae; it has since been classified as belonging to the Dicistroviridae

Dicistroviridae

The Dicistroviridae are a family of Group IV insect-infecting viruses. Some of the insects commonly infected by dicistroviruses include aphids, leafhoppers, flies, bees, ants, silkworms.-Taxonomy:...

. It is a single stranded positive sense RNA virus

RNA virus

An RNA virus is a virus that has RNA as its genetic material. This nucleic acid is usually single-stranded RNA but may be double-stranded RNA...

 of approximately 9300 nucleotide

Nucleotide

Nucleotides are molecules that, when joined together, make up the structural units of RNA and DNA. In addition, nucleotides participate in cellular signaling , and are incorporated into important cofactors of enzymatic reactions...

s and it contains two open reading frame

Open reading frame

In molecular genetics, an open reading frame is a DNA sequence that does not contain a stop codon in a given reading frame.Normally, inserts which interrupt the reading frame of a subsequent region after the start codon cause frameshift mutation of the sequence and dislocate the sequences for stop...

s. The virus particles are 30 nm in diameter and are made up of approximately 30% of RNA

RNA

Ribonucleic acid , or RNA, is one of the three major macromolecules that are essential for all known forms of life....

 and 70% protein

Protein

Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...

. The virus capsid

Capsid

A capsid is the protein shell of a virus. It consists of several oligomeric structural subunits made of protein called protomers. The observable 3-dimensional morphological subunits, which may or may not correspond to individual proteins, are called capsomeres. The capsid encloses the genetic...

 is composed of three major polypeptides and two minor polypeptides. Drosophila C virus infects Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster

Drosophila melanogaster is a species of Diptera, or the order of flies, in the family Drosophilidae. The species is known generally as the common fruit fly or vinegar fly. Starting from Charles W...

 and was first discovered in the early 1970s in a French strain of drosophila. The virus is transmitted by feeding so is almost non-pathogenic. However experimental evidence has shown that when injected into adult flies the virus is incredibly pathogenic as it causes the adult flies to die within 3–4 days following injection. Drosophila that are infected with Drosophila C virus develop more quickly, the females are heavier and produce more eggs therefore more offspring in comparison to drosophila not infected with the virus. Infection with drosophila C virus can also increase mortality rate

Mortality rate

Mortality rate is a measure of the number of deaths in a population, scaled to the size of that population, per unit time...

within a drosophila population.