Merbecovirus

Merbecovirus is a subgenus of viruses in the genus Betacoronavirus, including the human pathogen Middle East respiratory syndrome–related coronavirus (MERS-CoV).^[1] The viruses in this subgenus were previously known as group 2c coronaviruses.^[2]^[3]

Realm:Riboviria

Kingdom:Orthornavirae

Phylum:Pisuviricota

Class:Pisoniviricetes

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Merbecovirus

MERS-CoV: structure, attachment, viral entry, and genomic composition
Virus classification
(unranked):	Virus
Realm:	Riboviria
Kingdom:	Orthornavirae
Phylum:	Pisuviricota
Class:	Pisoniviricetes
Order:	Nidovirales
Family:	Coronaviridae
Genus:	Betacoronavirus
Subgenus:	*Merbecovirus*

Taxonomy

The subgenus contains the following species, listed by scientific name and followed by the exemplar virus of the species:^[4]^[5]

Betacoronavirus cameli, Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV)
Betacoronavirus erinacei, Hedgehog coronavirus 1
Betacoronavirus pipistrelli, Pipistrellus bat coronavirus HKU5
Betacoronavirus tylonycteridis, Tylonycteris bat coronavirus HKU4

Structure

The viruses of this subgenus, like other coronaviruses, have a lipid bilayer envelope in which the membrane (M), envelope (E) and spike (S) structural proteins are anchored.^[6]^[7]

References

[1]
"Virus Taxonomy: 2018 Release". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). October 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
[2]
Woo, Patrick C. Y.; Wang, Ming; Lau, Susanna K. P.; Xu, Huifang; Poon, Rosana W. S.; Guo, Rongtong; Wong, Beatrice H. L.; Gao, Kai; Tsoi, Hoi-wah; Huang, Yi; Li, Kenneth S. M. (February 2007). "Comparative Analysis of Twelve Genomes of Three Novel Group 2c and Group 2d Coronaviruses Reveals Unique Group and Subgroup Features". Journal of Virology. 81 (4): 1574–1585. doi:10.1128/JVI.02182-06. ISSN 0022-538X. PMC 1797546. PMID 17121802. See figure 2.
[3]
Wong, Antonio C. P.; Li, Xin; Lau, Susanna K. P.; Woo, Patrick C. Y. (2019-02-20). "Global Epidemiology of Bat Coronaviruses". Viruses. 11 (2): 174. doi:10.3390/v11020174. ISSN 1999-4915. PMC 6409556. PMID 30791586. CoVs are classified into four genera, Alphacoronavirus, Betacoronavirus, Gammacoronavirus and Deltacoronavirus. Within Betacoronavirus, they can be further subclassified into lineages A, B, C and D [1]. In 2018, these four lineages were reclassified as subgenera of Betacoronavirus, and renamed as Embecovirus (previous lineage A), Sarbecovirus (previous lineage B), Merbecovirus (previous lineage C) and Nobecovirus (previous lineage D) [2]. In addition, a fifth subgenus, Hibecovirus, was also included (Figure 1) [2].
[4]
"Virus Taxonomy: 2024 Release". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
[5]
"Species List: Coronaviridae". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
[6]
Lai, Michael M. C.; Cavanagh, David (1997-01-01), Maramorosch, Karl; Murphy, Frederick A.; Shatkin, Aaron J. (eds.), "The Molecular Biology of Coronaviruses; III. Structure of Virions; A. Virion Morphology", Advances in Virus Research, 48, Academic Press: 5–6, doi:10.1016/S0065-3527(08)60286-9, PMC 7130985, PMID 9233431
[7]
Woo, Patrick C. Y.; Huang, Yi; Lau, Susanna K. P.; Yuen, Kwok-Yung (2010-08-24). "Coronavirus Genomics and Bioinformatics Analysis". Viruses. 2 (8): 1804–1820. doi:10.3390/v2081803. ISSN 1999-4915. PMC 3185738. PMID 21994708. The presence of HE genes exclusively in members of Betacoronavirus subgroup A, but not members of Betacoronavirus subgroup B, C and D suggested that the recombination had probably occurred in the ancestor of members of Betacoronavirus subgroup A, after diverging from the ancestor of other subgroups of Betacoronavirus.

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Taxonomy

Structure

See also

References

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