Embecovirus

Embecovirus
Murine coronavirus (MHV) virion electron micrograph, schematic structure, and genome.
Virus classification Edit this classification
(unranked): Virus
Realm: Riboviria
Kingdom: Orthornavirae
Phylum: Pisuviricota
Class: Pisoniviricetes
Order: Nidovirales
Family: Coronaviridae
Genus: Betacoronavirus
Subgenus: Embecovirus

Embecovirus is a subgenus of coronaviruses in the genus Betacoronavirus. The viruses in this subgenus, unlike other coronaviruses, have a hemagglutinin esterase (HE) gene. The viruses in the subgenus were previously known as group 2a coronaviruses.

Taxonomy

The subgenus contains the following species, listed by scientific name and followed by the exemplar virus of the species:

Structure

The viruses of this subgenus, like other coronaviruses, have a lipid bilayer envelope in which the membrane (M), envelope (E) and spike (S) structural proteins are anchored. Unlike other coronaviruses, viruses in this subgenus also have an additional shorter spike-like structural protein called hemagglutinin esterase (HE).

Recombination

Genetic recombination can occur when two or more viral genomes are present in the same host cell. The dromedary camel beta-coronavirus (Beta-CoV HKU23) exhibits genetic diversity in the African camel population. Contributing to this diversity are several recombination events that had taken place in the past between closely related Beta-CoVs of the subgenus Embecovirus.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Virus Taxonomy: 2018 Release". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). October 2018. Archived from the original on 4 March 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 Woo, Patrick C. Y.; Huang, Yi; Lau, Susanna K. P.; Yuen, Kwok-Yung (2010-08-24). "Coronavirus Genomics and Bioinformatics Analysis". Viruses. 2 (8): 1804–1820. doi:10.3390/v2081803. ISSN 1999-4915. PMC 3185738. PMID 21994708. In all members of Betacoronavirus subgroup A, a haemagglutinin esterase (HE) gene, which encodes a glycoprotein with neuraminate O-acetyl-esterase activity and the active site FGDS, is present downstream to ORF1ab and upstream to S gene (Figure 1).
  3. ↑ Woo, Patrick C. Y.; Wang, Ming; Lau, Susanna K. P.; Xu, Huifang; Poon, Rosana W. S.; Guo, Rongtong; Wong, Beatrice H. L.; Gao, Kai; Tsoi, Hoi-wah; Huang, Yi; Li, Kenneth S. M. (February 2007). "Comparative Analysis of Twelve Genomes of Three Novel Group 2c and Group 2d Coronaviruses Reveals Unique Group and Subgroup Features". Journal of Virology. 81 (4): 1574–1585. doi:10.1128/JVI.02182-06. ISSN 0022-538X. PMC 1797546. PMID 17121802. See figure 2.
  4. ↑ Wong, Antonio C. P.; Li, Xin; Lau, Susanna K. P.; Woo, Patrick C. Y. (2019-02-20). "Global Epidemiology of Bat Coronaviruses". Viruses. 11 (2): 174. doi:10.3390/v11020174. ISSN 1999-4915. PMC 6409556. PMID 30791586. CoVs are classified into four genera, Alphacoronavirus, Betacoronavirus, Gammacoronavirus and Deltacoronavirus. Within Betacoronavirus, they can be further subclassified into lineages A, B, C and D [1]. In 2018, these four lineages were reclassified as subgenera of Betacoronavirus, and renamed as Embecovirus (previous lineage A), Sarbecovirus (previous lineage B), Merbecovirus (previous lineage C) and Nobecovirus (previous lineage D) [2]. In addition, a fifth subgenus, Hibecovirus, was also included (Figure 1) [2].
  5. ↑ "Virus Taxonomy: 2024 Release". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  6. ↑ "Species List: Coronaviridae". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  7. ↑ Lai, Michael M. C.; Cavanagh, David (1997-01-01), Maramorosch, Karl; Murphy, Frederick A.; Shatkin, Aaron J. (eds.), "The Molecular Biology of Coronaviruses; III. Structure of Virions; A. Virion Morphology", Advances in Virus Research, 48, Academic Press: 5–6, doi:10.1016/S0065-3527(08)60286-9, PMC 7130985, PMID 9233431
  8. ↑ Woo, Patrick C. Y.; Huang, Yi; Lau, Susanna K. P.; Yuen, Kwok-Yung (2010-08-24). "Coronavirus Genomics and Bioinformatics Analysis". Viruses. 2 (8): 1804–1820. doi:10.3390/v2081803. ISSN 1999-4915. PMC 3185738. PMID 21994708. The presence of HE genes exclusively in members of Betacoronavirus subgroup A, but not members of Betacoronavirus subgroup B, C and D suggested that the recombination had probably occurred in the ancestor of members of Betacoronavirus subgroup A, after diverging from the ancestor of other subgroups of Betacoronavirus.
  9. 1 2 Diversity of Dromedary Camel Coronavirus HKU23 in African Camels Revealed Multiple Recombination Events among Closely Related Betacoronaviruses of the Subgenus Embecovirus. So RTY, et al. J Virol. 2019. PMID 31534035