Gammacoronavirus Explained

Gammacoronavirus (Gamma-CoV) is one of the four genera (Alpha-, Beta-, Gamma-, and Delta-) of coronaviruses. It is in the subfamily Orthocoronavirinae of the family Coronaviridae. They are enveloped, positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses of zoonotic origin. Coronaviruses infect both animals and humans.

While the alpha and beta genera are derived from the bat gene pool, the gamma and delta genera are derived from the avian and pig gene pools.^[1] Gamma-CoV also known as coronavirus group 3 are the avian coronaviruses.

See also

• Animal viruses
• Positive/negative-sense
• RNA virus

External links

• Coronaviruses
• Viralzone: Gammacoronavirus
• Virus Pathogen Database and Analysis Resource (ViPR): Coronaviridae

Notes and References

1. Woo PC, Lau SK, Lam CS, Lau CC, Tsang AK, Lau JH, Bai R, Teng JL, Tsang CC, Wang M, Zheng BJ, Chan KH, Yuen KY . Discovery of seven novel Mammalian and avian coronaviruses in the genus deltacoronavirus supports bat coronaviruses as the gene source of alphacoronavirus and betacoronavirus and avian coronaviruses as the gene source of gammacoronavirus and deltacoronavirus . J. Virol. . 86 . 7 . 3995–4008 . 2012 . 22278237 . 3302495 . 10.1128/JVI.06540-11 .