Herpesviridae
The Herpesviridae family includes enveloped viruses with a double-stranded, linear DNA as a genome. The representatives of the Herpesviridae are with respect to their genome and morphology of the largest and most complex viruses. The approximately 170 species of virus were detected in many vertebrates, including mammals, birds, reptiles and fish, as well as a few invertebrates. The herpes viruses are strictly host-specific and usually can cause different diseases in which to multiply the virus in lymphocytes, nerve cells or epidermal cells. A special feature of the Herpesviridae is their ability to persistence, that is, they remain after a primary infection in the host for life, having to also cause no signs of disease. The name of the virus family derives from gr ἕρπειν ( herpein ) " crawl " for off, indicating the creeping spread of skin lesions in infection with the herpes simplex virus, the most famous member of the family.
Morphology
The virions of the Herpesviridae are between 120 and 200 nm in size in the diameter; that they rank next to the family Poxviridae the largest viruses. In electron micrographs ( TEM) usually shows an irregular, indented viral envelope, which is due to the destruction of the sensitive membrane during the preparation. Between envelope and capsid is in comparison to other viruses large space (matrix space ), which is filled with numerous structural proteins. These matrix proteins, and tegument proteins ( tegument, " skin") are incorporated in part of the inside of the membrane or attached to the capsid. The size of the matrix space increases the contrast between envelope and capsid in the TEM representation, which causes the typical so-called " egg shape" of the Herpesviridae. The 100-110 nm capsid has an icosahedral symmetry of the Herpesviridae with a Triangulationszahl of T = 16
System
- Family Herpesviridae
- Subfamily Alphaherpesvirinae
- Genus simplex virus
- Genus Varicellovirus
- Genus Mardi virus
- Genus Iltovirus
- Subfamily Betaherpesvirinae
- Genus cytomegalovirus
- Genus Muromegalovirus
- Genus Roseolovirus
- Genus Proboscivirus
- Subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae
- Genus lymphocryptovirus
- Genus Rhadinovirus
- Genus Macavirus
- Genus Percavirus
The family Herpesviridae additionally comprises a large number of species of virus, which were previously assigned to any of the genera or subfamilies. They include, inter alia:
- Species Acipenserid herpes virus 1 and 2 ( herpesvirus of white sturgeon )
- Species Anatid herpesvirus ( duck plague herpesvirus )
- Species Anguillid herpesvirus 1 (herpes virus of the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica)
- Species Ateles herpesvirus 3 ( herpesvirus of spider monkeys, genus Ateles )
- Species Boa herpesvirus 1 (herpes virus Boa, Boa constrictor )
- Herpesvirus species of turtle