Guidance for creating individual and batch latinized binomial virus species names

Thomas S Postler¹, Luisa Rubino², Evelien M Adriaenssens³, Bas E Dutilh^{4

5}, Balázs Harrach⁶, Sandra Junglen⁷, Andrew M Kropinski⁸, Mart Krupovic⁹, Jiro Wada¹⁰, Anya Crane¹⁰, Jens H Kuhn¹⁰, Arcady Mushegian¹¹, Jānis Rūmnieks¹², Sead Sabanadzovic¹³, Peter Simmonds¹⁴, Arvind Varsani^{15

16}, F Murilo Zerbini¹⁷, Julie Callanan¹⁸, Lorraine A Draper¹⁸, Colin Hill¹⁸, Stephen R Stockdale¹⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
² Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Sede Secondaria di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy.
³ Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UQ, UK.
⁴ Institute of Biodiversity, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany.
⁵ Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, Netherlands.
⁶ Veterinary Medical Research Institute, H-1143 Budapest, Hungary.
⁷ Institute of Virology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin, corporate member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
⁸ Departments of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
⁹ Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit, 75015 Paris, France.
¹⁰ Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
¹¹ Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA.
¹² Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia.
¹³ Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
¹⁴ Nuffield Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Oxford, Peter Medawar Building, Oxford, OX1 3SY, UK.
¹⁵ The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4701, USA.
¹⁶ Structural Biology Research Unit, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
¹⁷ Departamento de Fitopatologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil.
¹⁸ APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, T12 YT20, Ireland.

PMID: 36748479
PMCID: PMC10228378
DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001800

Guidance for creating individual and batch latinized binomial virus species names

Thomas S Postler et al. J Gen Virol. 2022 Dec.

. 2022 Dec;103(12):001800.

doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001800.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY 10032, USA.
² Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante, Sede Secondaria di Bari, 70126 Bari, Italy.
³ Quadram Institute Bioscience, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, NR4 7UQ, UK.
⁴ Institute of Biodiversity, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Cluster of Excellence Balance of the Microverse, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, 07743 Jena, Germany.
⁵ Theoretical Biology and Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, Netherlands.
⁶ Veterinary Medical Research Institute, H-1143 Budapest, Hungary.
⁷ Institute of Virology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin, corporate member of Free University Berlin, Humboldt-University Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, 10117 Berlin, Germany.
⁸ Departments of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada.
⁹ Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit, 75015 Paris, France.
¹⁰ Integrated Research Facility at Fort Detrick, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Frederick, MD 21702, USA.
¹¹ Division of Molecular and Cellular Biosciences, National Science Foundation, Alexandria, VA 22314, USA.
¹² Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre, Riga, LV-1067, Latvia.
¹³ Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology and Plant Pathology, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, USA.
¹⁴ Nuffield Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Oxford, Peter Medawar Building, Oxford, OX1 3SY, UK.
¹⁵ The Biodesign Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4701, USA.
¹⁶ Structural Biology Research Unit, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
¹⁷ Departamento de Fitopatologia/BIOAGRO, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, MG 36570-900, Brazil.
¹⁸ APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, T12 YT20, Ireland.

PMID: 36748479
PMCID: PMC10228378
DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001800

Abstract

The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses recently adopted, and is gradually implementing, a binomial naming format for virus species. Although full Latinization of these names remains optional, a standardized nomenclature based on Latinized binomials has the advantage of comparability with all other biological taxonomies. As a language without living native speakers, Latin is more culturally neutral than many contemporary languages, and words built from Latin roots are already widely used in the language of science across the world. Conversion of established species names to Latinized binomials or creation of Latinized binomials de novo may seem daunting, but the rules for name creation are straightforward and can be implemented in a formulaic manner. Here, we describe approaches, strategies and steps for creating Latinized binomials for virus species without prior knowledge of Latin. We also discuss a novel approach to the automated generation of large batches of novel genus and species names. Importantly, conversion to a binomial format does not affect virus names, many of which are created from local languages.

Keywords: ICTV; International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses; Latinization; binomial; species name; virus nomenclature; virus taxonomy.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

**Fig. 1.**
Latinized binomial virus species name formation based on geographical locations. Examples are ICTV-ratified, official species names.

**Fig. 2.**
Latinized binomial virus species name formation based on persons, objects, organizations or institutions. Examples are ICTV-ratified, official species names.

**Fig. 3.**
Latinized binomial virus species name formation based on diseases. Examples are ICTV-ratified, official species names.

**Fig. 4.**
Latinized binomial virus species name formation based on virus hosts. Examples are ICTV-ratified, official species names.

**Fig. 5.**
Example strategy for batch formation of virus genus names.

**Fig. 6.**
Example strategy for batch formation of virus species epithets.

See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

1. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Fourth edition. London, UK: The International Trust for Zoological Nomenclature 1999; 2012. - PMC - PubMed
1. Linnaeus C. Species plantarum. Stockholm, Sweden: Laurentius Salvius; 1753.
1. Parker CT, Tindall BJ, Garrity GM. International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. Prokaryotic Code (2008 revision) Int J Syst Evol Microbiol. 2019;69:S1–S111. doi: 10.1099/ijsem.0.000778. - DOI - PubMed
1. Turland NJ, Wiersema JH, Barrie FR. International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (Shenzhen Code) adopted by the Nineteenth International Botanical Congress Shenzhen, China, July 2017. Regnum Vegetabile 159. Koeltz Botanical Books; 2017.
1. International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses Executive Committee The new scope of virus taxonomy: partitioning the virosphere into 15 hierarchical ranks. Nat Microbiol. 2020;5:668–674. doi: 10.1038/s41564-020-0709-x. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

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Guidance for creating individual and batch latinized binomial virus species names

Affiliations

Guidance for creating individual and batch latinized binomial virus species names

Authors

Affiliations

Abstract

Conflict of interest statement

Figures

References

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding

LinkOut - more resources

Full Text Sources

Research Materials