Identification and Full Characterisation of Two Novel Crustacean Infecting Members of the Family <i>Nudiviridae</i> Provides Support for Two Subfamilies
Kelly S. Bateman,
Rose Kerr,
Grant D. Stentiford,
Tim P. Bean,
Chantelle Hooper,
Benigna Van Eynde,
Daan Delbare,
Jamie Bojko,
Olivier Christiaens,
Clauvis N. T. Taning,
Guy Smagghe,
Monique M. van Oers,
Ronny van Aerle
Affiliations
Kelly S. Bateman
International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health (ICOE AAH), Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK
Rose Kerr
International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health (ICOE AAH), Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK
Grant D. Stentiford
International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health (ICOE AAH), Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK
Tim P. Bean
The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick), School of Veterinary Studies, Easter Bush Campus, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian EH25 9RG, UK
Chantelle Hooper
International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health (ICOE AAH), Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK
Benigna Van Eynde
Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Daan Delbare
Animal Sciences Unit, Fisheries, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), 8400 Ostend, Belgium
Jamie Bojko
School of Health and Life Science, Teesside University, Middlesbrough TS1 3BA, UK
Olivier Christiaens
Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Clauvis N. T. Taning
Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Guy Smagghe
Department of Plants and Crops, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Monique M. van Oers
Laboratory of Virology, Plant Sciences Group, Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 16, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands
Ronny van Aerle
International Centre of Excellence for Aquatic Animal Health (ICOE AAH), Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset DT4 8UB, UK
Multiple enveloped viruses with rod-shaped nucleocapsids have been described, infecting the epithelial cell nuclei within the hepatopancreas tubules of crustaceans. These bacilliform viruses share the ultrastructural characteristics of nudiviruses, a specific clade of viruses infecting arthropods. Using histology, electron microscopy and high throughput sequencing, we characterise two further bacilliform viruses from aquatic hosts, the brown shrimp (Crangon crangon) and the European shore crab (Carcinus maenas). We assembled the full double stranded, circular DNA genome sequences of these viruses (~113 and 132 kbp, respectively). Comparative genomics and phylogenetic analyses confirm that both belong within the family Nudiviridae but in separate clades representing nudiviruses found in freshwater and marine environments. We show that the three thymidine kinase (tk) genes present in all sequenced nudivirus genomes, thus far, were absent in the Crangon crangon nudivirus, suggesting there are twenty-eight core genes shared by all nudiviruses. Furthermore, the phylogenetic data no longer support the subdivision of the family Nudiviridae into four genera (Alphanudivirus to Deltanudivirus), as recently adopted by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV), but rather shows two main branches of the family that are further subdivided. Our data support a recent proposal to create two subfamilies within the family Nudiviridae, each subdivided into several genera.
