ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Bromoviridae 2025

Abstract

Bromoviridae is a family of plant viruses with tripartite, positive-sense RNA genomes of about 8 kb in total. Genomic RNAs are packaged in separate virions that may also contain sub-genomic, defective or satellite RNAs. Virions are variable in morphology (spherical or bacilliform) and may be transmitted between hosts mechanically, via pollen, or non-persistently by insect vectors. Members of the family are responsible for major disease epidemics in fruit, vegetable and fodder crops such as tomatoes, cucurbits, bananas, fruit trees, common beans and alfalfa. Since the adoption of metagenomic high-throughput sequencing methodologies, there has been a notable increase in the number of species in the genus Ilarvirus. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Bromoviridae, which is available at ictv.global/report/bromoviridae.

Keywords: Bromoviridae; ICTV Report; taxonomy.

Fig. 1.. Particles of cucumber mosaic virus. (a) Negative-contrast electron micrograph (bar 50 nm, courtesy of A. De Stradis, IPSP-CNR, Bari, Italy) and (b) reconstruction (courtesy of Dr K.L. Perry, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA, Dr T. Smith, University of Texas, Galveston, Texas, USA, and A. Paredes, NCTR/ORA, Arkansas, USA).

Fig. 2.. Generalized genome organization for members of the family Bromoviridae. Mtr/H, methyltransferase and helicase; RdRP, RNA-directed RNA polymerase; MP, movement protein; CP, coat protein. 2b protein only in some cucumoviruses and ilarviruses. Readthrough product of CP ORF (RT) only in some ilarviruses [6].