Binomial nomenclature for virus species: a consultation

Stuart G Siddell¹, Peter J Walker², Elliot J Lefkowitz³, Arcady R Mushegian⁴, Bas E Dutilh^{5

6}, Balázs Harrach⁷, Robert L Harrison⁸, Sandra Junglen^{9

10}, Nick J Knowles¹¹, Andrew M Kropinski^{12

13}, Mart Krupovic¹⁴, Jens H Kuhn¹⁵, Max L Nibert¹⁶, Luisa Rubino¹⁷, Sead Sabanadzovic¹⁸, Peter Simmonds¹⁹, Arvind Varsani²⁰, Francisco Murilo Zerbini²¹, Andrew J Davison²²

Affiliations

¹ School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
² School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
³ Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), BBRB 276, 845 19th ST South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-2170, USA.
⁴ Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22314, USA.
⁵ Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Room N-604, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
⁶ Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), Geert Grooteplein 26, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
⁷ Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungária krt. 21, Budapest, 1143, Hungary.
⁸ Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Bldg 007 BARC-West, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
⁹ Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Corporate Member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
¹⁰ Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
¹¹ The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Surrey, GU24 0NF, UK.
¹² Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
¹³ Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
¹⁴ Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France.
¹⁵ National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Division of Clinical Research, Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF-Frederick), B-8200 Research Plaza, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA.
¹⁶ Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Ave Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
¹⁷ Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, CNR, Sede Secondaria di Bari, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy.
¹⁸ Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, 100 Old Hwy 12 Mail Stop 9775, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.
¹⁹ Nuffield Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Oxford, Peter Medawar Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.
²⁰ The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 874701, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4701, USA.
²¹ Departamento de Fitopatologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil.
²² MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Sir Michael Stoker Building, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK. andrew.davison@glasgow.ac.uk.

PMID: 31797129
PMCID: PMC7026202
DOI: 10.1007/s00705-019-04477-6

Binomial nomenclature for virus species: a consultation

Stuart G Siddell et al. Arch Virol. 2020 Feb.

. 2020 Feb;165(2):519-525.

doi: 10.1007/s00705-019-04477-6.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
² School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, Saint Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia.
³ Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), BBRB 276, 845 19th ST South, Birmingham, AL, 35294-2170, USA.
⁴ Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria, VA, 22314, USA.
⁵ Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, Room N-604, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
⁶ Centre for Molecular and Biomolecular Informatics, Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc), Geert Grooteplein 26, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
⁷ Institute for Veterinary Medical Research, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungária krt. 21, Budapest, 1143, Hungary.
⁸ Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Laboratory, USDA-ARS, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Bldg 007 BARC-West, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA.
⁹ Institute of Virology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Corporate Member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
¹⁰ Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
¹¹ The Pirbright Institute, Ash Road, Pirbright, Surrey, GU24 0NF, UK.
¹² Department of Food Science, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
¹³ Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
¹⁴ Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, 25 rue du Dr Roux, 75015, Paris, France.
¹⁵ National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Division of Clinical Research, Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick (IRF-Frederick), B-8200 Research Plaza, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA.
¹⁶ Department of Microbiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, 77 Ave Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
¹⁷ Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, CNR, Sede Secondaria di Bari, Via Amendola 165/A, 70126, Bari, Italy.
¹⁸ Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, 100 Old Hwy 12 Mail Stop 9775, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.
¹⁹ Nuffield Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Oxford, Peter Medawar Building, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.
²⁰ The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 874701, Tempe, AZ, 85287-4701, USA.
²¹ Departamento de Fitopatologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, 36570-900, Brazil.
²² MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research, Sir Michael Stoker Building, 464 Bearsden Road, Glasgow, G61 1QH, UK. andrew.davison@glasgow.ac.uk.

PMID: 31797129
PMCID: PMC7026202
DOI: 10.1007/s00705-019-04477-6

Erratum in

Correction to: Binomial nomenclature for virus species: a consultation.
Siddell SG, Walker PJ, Lefkowitz EJ, Mushegian AR, Dutilh BE, Harrach B, Harrison RL, Junglen S, Knowles NJ, Kropinski AM, Krupovic M, Kuhn JH, Nibert ML, Rubino L, Sabanadzovic S, Simmonds P, Varsani A, Zerbini FM, Davison AJ. Siddell SG, et al. Arch Virol. 2020 May;165(5):1263-1264. doi: 10.1007/s00705-020-04555-0. Arch Virol. 2020. PMID: 32065315 Free PMC article.

Abstract

The Executive Committee of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) recognizes the need for a standardized nomenclature for virus species. This article sets out the case for establishing a binomial nomenclature and presents the advantages and disadvantages of different naming formats. The Executive Committee understands that adopting a binomial system would have major practical consequences, and invites comments from the virology community before making any decisions to change the existing nomenclature. The Executive Committee will take account of these comments in deciding whether to approve a standardized binomial system at its next meeting in October 2020. Note that this system would relate only to the formal names of virus species and not to the names of viruses.

Keywords: Binomial species names; International committee on taxonomy of viruses (ICTV); Nomenclature; Species nomenclature; Virus taxonomy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

Should virus-naming rules change during a pandemic? The question divides virologists.
Mallapaty S. Mallapaty S. Nature. 2020 Aug;584(7819):19-20. doi: 10.1038/d41586-020-02243-2. Nature. 2020. PMID: 32733098 No abstract available.

References

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Binomial nomenclature for virus species: a consultation

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Binomial nomenclature for virus species: a consultation

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