Birnaviridae is a family of double-stranded RNA viruses.[1]Salmonid fish, birds and insects serve as natural hosts. There are currently 11 species in this family, divided among seven genera.[2] Diseases associated with this family include infectious pancreatic necrosis in salmonid fish, which causes significant losses to the aquaculture industry, with chronic infection in adult salmonid fish and acute viral disease in young salmonid fish.[2][3]
The genome is composed of linear, bi-segmented, double-stranded RNA. It is around 5.9–6.9 kbp in length and codes for five to six proteins. Birnaviruses encode the following proteins:
RNA-directed RNA polymerase (VP1), which lacks the highly conserved Gly-Asp-Asp (GDD) sequence, a component of the proposed catalytic site of this enzyme family that exists in the conserved motif VI of the palm domain of other RNA-directed RNA polymerases.[4]
The large RNA segment, segment A, of birnaviruses codes for a polyprotein (N-VP2-VP4-VP3-C) [5] that is processed into the major structural proteins of the virion: VP2, VP3 (a minor structural component of the virus), and into the putative protease VP4.[5] VP4 protein is involved in generating VP2 and VP3.[5]recombinant VP3 is more immunogenic than recombinant VP2.[6]
Non structuralprotein VP5 is found in RNA segment A.[citation needed] The function of this small viral protein is unknown. It is believed to be involved in influencing apoptosis, but studies are not completely concurring. The protein can not be found in the virion.[citation needed]
Viral replication is cytoplasmic. Entry into the host cell is achieved by cell receptor endocytosis. Replication follows the double-stranded RNA virus replication model in the cytoplasm. Double-stranded RNA virus transcription is the method of transcription in cytoplasm. The virus is released by budding. Salmonid fish (Aquabirnavirus), young sexually immature chickens (Avibirnavirus), insects (Entomobirnavirus), and blotched snakehead fish (Blosnavirus) are the natural hosts. Transmission routes are contact.[2][3]
^Moon CH, Do JW, Cha SJ, Bang JD, Park MA, Yoo DJ, Lee JM, Kim HG, Chung DK, Park JW (October 2004). "Comparison of the immunogenicity of recombinant VP2 and VP3 of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus and marine birnavirus". Arch. Virol. 149 (10): 2059–68. doi:10.1007/s00705-004-0339-2. PMID15669113. S2CID22958612.
