:Coronaviridae

File:12985_2015_421_Fig2_HTML.webp

The 5' and 3' ends of the genome have a cap and poly(A) tract, respectively. The viral envelope, obtained by budding through membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) or Golgi apparatus, invariably contains two virus-specified glycoprotein species, known as the spike (S) and membrane (M) proteins. The spike protein makes up the large surface projections (sometimes known as peplomers), while the membrane protein is a triple-spanning transmembrane protein. Toroviruses and a select subset of coronaviruses (in particular the members of subgroup A in the genus Betacoronavirus) possess, in addition to the peplomers composed of S, a second type of surface projections composed of the hemagglutinin-esterase protein. Another important structural protein is the phosphoprotein nucleocapsid protein (N), which is responsible for the helical symmetry of the nucleocapsid that encloses the genomic RNA.{{cite journal | vauthors = McBride R, van Zyl M, Fielding BC | title = The coronavirus nucleocapsid is a multifunctional protein | journal = Viruses | volume = 6 | issue = 8 | pages = 2991–3018 | date = August 2014 | pmid = 25105276 | pmc = 4147684 | doi = 10.3390/v6082991 | doi-access = free }} The fourth and smallest viral structural protein is known as the envelope protein (E), thought to be involved in viral budding.{{cite journal |last1=Schoeman |first1=Dewald |last2=Fielding |first2=Burtram C. |title=Coronavirus envelope protein: current knowledge |journal=Virology Journal |date=December 2019 |volume=16 |issue=1 |pages=69 |doi=10.1186/s12985-019-1182-0|pmid=31133031 |pmc=6537279 |doi-access=free }}

Genetic recombination can occur when at least two viral genomes are present in the same infected host cell. RNA recombination appears to be a major driving force in coronavirus evolution. Recombination can determine genetic variability within a CoV species, the capability of a CoV species to jump from one host to another and, infrequently, the emergence of a novel CoV.Su S, Wong G, Shi W, Liu J, Lai ACK, Zhou J, Liu W, Bi Y, Gao GF. Epidemiology, Genetic Recombination, and Pathogenesis of Coronaviruses. Trends Microbiol. 2016 Jun;24(6):490-502. DOI: 10.1016/j.tim.2016.03.003. Epub 2016 Mar 21. Review. {{PMID|27012512}} The exact mechanism of recombination in CoVs is not known, but likely involves template switching during genome replication.

File:Water-12-01598-g001.png

The family Coronaviridae is organized in 3 subfamilies, 6 genera, 28 sub-genera, and 54 species.{{cite web|title=Virus Taxonomy: 2024 Release|url=https://ictv.global/taxonomy|publisher=International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses|access-date=4 April 2025}} Additional species are pending or tentative.{{cite journal|vauthors=Gorbalenya A, Baker S, Baric R, de Groot R, Drosten C, Gulyaeva A, Haagmans B, Lauber C, Leontovich A, Neuman B, Penzar D, Perlman S, Poon L, Samborskiy D, Sidorov I, Sola I, Ziebuhr J|title=The species Severe acute respiratory syndrome related coronavirus: classifying 2019-nCoV and naming it SARS-CoV-2|journal=Nature Microbiology|volume=5|pages=536–44|year=2020|issue=4|pmid=32123347|doi=10.1038/s41564-020-0695-z|pmc=7095448|doi-access=free|url=}} The subfamilies and genera of the family are listed hereafter (-virinae denotes subfamily and -virus denotes genus):

• Letovirinae
• Alphaletovirus
• Orthocoronavirinae{{cite journal | vauthors = Fan Y, Zhao K, Shi ZL, Zhou P | title = Bat Coronaviruses in China | journal = Viruses | volume = 11 | issue = 3 | pages = 210 | date = March 2019 | pmid = 30832341 | pmc = 6466186 | doi = 10.3390/v11030210 | doi-access = free }}
• Alphacoronavirus
• Betacoronavirus
• Gammacoronavirus
• Deltacoronavirus
• Pitovirinae
• Alphapironavirus

{{main|Coronavirus}}

Coronavirus is the common name for Coronaviridae and Orthocoronavirinae, also called Coronavirinae.{{cite web |title=2017.012-015S |url=https://ictv.global/ictv/proposals/2017.012_015S.A.v1.Nidovirales.zip |website=International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) |access-date=24 January 2020 |language=en |format=xlsx |date=October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190514162836/https://talk.ictvonline.org/ictv/proposals/2017.012_015S.A.v1.Nidovirales.zip |archive-date=14 May 2019 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=ICTV Taxonomy history: Orthocoronavirinae |url=https://ictv.global/taxonomy/taxondetails?taxnode_id=201851847 |website=International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) |access-date=24 January 2020 |language=en}} Coronaviruses cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans, the viruses cause respiratory infections. Four human coronaviruses cause typically minor symptoms of a common cold, while three are known to cause more serious illness and can be lethal: SARS-CoV-1, which causes SARS; MERS-CoV, which causes MERS; and SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.{{cite web|title=The 2019–2020 Novel Coronavirus (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) Pandemic: A Joint American College of Academic International Medicine‑World Academic Council of Emergency Medicine Multidisciplinary COVID‑19 Working Group Consensus Paper|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340903626|website=ResearchGate|access-date=May 16, 2020}} Symptoms vary in other species: in chickens, they cause an upper respiratory disease, while in cows and pigs coronaviruses cause diarrhea. Other than for SARS-CoV-2, there are no vaccines or antiviral drugs to prevent or treat human coronavirus infections. They are enveloped viruses with a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome and a nucleocapsid of helical symmetry. The genome size of coronaviruses ranges from approximately 26 to 32 kilobases, among the largest for an RNA virus (second only to a 41-kb nidovirus recently discovered in planaria).{{cite journal | vauthors = Saberi A, Gulyaeva AA, Brubacher JL, Newmark PA, Gorbalenya AE | title = A planarian nidovirus expands the limits of RNA genome size | journal = PLOS Pathogens | volume = 14 | issue = 11 | pages = e1007314 | date = November 2018 | pmid = 30383829 | pmc = 6211748 | doi = 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007314 | veditors = Stanley P | doi-access = free }}

File:44149_2021_5_Fig3_HTML.webp

{{Reflist|2}}

{{Portal|Viruses}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Wikispecies}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130312042413/http://www.viprbrc.org/brc/home.do?decorator=corona Virus Pathogen Database and Analysis Resource (ViPR): Coronaviridae]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070309144307/http://www-micro.msb.le.ac.uk/3035/Coronaviruses.html Archived Web page from 2006 on coronaviruses]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927194638/http://www.horizonpress.com/blogger/2007/09/focus-on-coronaviruses.html Focus on Coronaviruses (Microbiology Blog post from 2007)]
• [https://viralzone.expasy.org/30.html?outline=all_by_species Viralzone: Coronaviridae]
• [https://ictv.global/ International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses]

{{Coronaviridae}}

{{Baltimore classification}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q1134583}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Nidovirales

Category:Virus families