Family: Picornaviridae
Genus: Rohelivirus
Distinguishing features
The genus is distinguished on the basis of genetic characters.
Virion
Morphology
No details are available on the morphology of virions.
Nucleic acid
Genome (Wu et al., 2018): c. 7,780–7,823 nt (5′-UTR: up to 1,239 nt; ORF: 6,489–6,510 nt; 3'-UTR: 71–89 nt). The location of the cre has not been identified.
Genome organization and replication
Genome layout:
VPg+5′-UTRIRES-[1A-1B-1C-1D/2A-2B-2C/3A-3B-3C-3D]-3′-UTR-poly(A)
The deduced polyprotein is of 2,163–2,170 amino acids. There is no L protein. 1A is very short (16 amino acids). The function of 2A is unknown.
Biology
No virus has been isolated. Viral RNA was detected in pharyngeal and anal swabs of northern three-toed jerboas (Dipus sagitta) and Chinese white-bellied rats (Niviventer confucianus) captured in the Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi and Tibet provinces of China. Three genetic types, rohelivirus A1, A2 and A3, are distinguished by means of phylogenetic clustering.
Derivation of names
Rohelivirus: derived from Rodentia (order rodents, host) and hepato-like virus
Species demarcation criteria
There is only a single species in the genus.