Rod-shaped nuclear viruses of crustaceans: gut-infecting species

Abstract

There are 6 baculovirus-related nuclear viruses known to attack the hepatopancreatic epithelium of decapod crustaceans, including penaeid shrimp, brachyuran crabs, and anomuran crabs. Four of the 6 viruses are nonoccluded. One of the occluded species is accepted as a member of the Baculoviridae by the International Commission on Taxonomy of Viruses. The 4 available gut-infecting crustacean viruses are described and all 6 are compared to each other and to viruses from insects and arachnids that share some similar characteristics. Morphological similarities, including among others the presence of a truly cyhdrical nucleocapsid, a unilateral subapical envelope expansion, and a taillike appendage that arlses from the nucleocapsid and is reflexed withln the envelope expansion, indicate that the crustacean viruses are related to one another. In morphological and some developmental attributes, the crustacean vlruses, including the occluded species, show affinities to the nonoccluded virus of Oryctes, which is currently the type of proposed Subgroup C of the Baculoviridae.