virology division news : The current naming of plant viruses: a critical appraisal
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Virology Division News Arch Virol (2002) 147: 2251–2253
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Virology Division News
The current naming of plant viruses: a critical appraisal J. Dijkstra1 and J. A. Khan2 1
Laboratory of Virology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands 2 National Botanical Research Institute, Lucknow, India
The revised International Code of Virus Classification and Nomenclature [7] followed by the Seventh Report of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) [9] have generated a lot of criticism [2, 4–6]. The main causes of criticism are (i) use of monomials instead of non-latinized binomials, as has been practice for some time in the past, e.g., tobacco mosaic tobamovirus, tobacco ringspot nepovirus etc. (ii) in toto italicization of official virus names. Following the expression of different views among virologists on this issue, it is being debated and an opportunity has been provided for reconsideration of the revised ICTV code [1, 8, 10]. This note attempts to analyse the existing critisms being raised and justifies the continuation of the present ICTV code. Monomials In the period when non-latinized binomials were advocated, nobody had foreseen that names of groups (later: genera) would change so drastically and frequently. Gibbs [6] states that ‘… a quick glance at Bos’ latest textbook shows the great value of the present binomial system of plant virus names for non-specialist readers …’. However, if the textbook of Bos [3] had appeared two years earlier than it did, hundreds of virus names in the book would have become obsolete, as between 1995 and 1998 thirty new genera were created. For example, Beet necrotic yellow vein virus was previously classified in the genus Furovirus whereas now it is placed in the new genus Benyvirus. And only recently, Narcissus latent virus previously considered to be a carlavirus, is now classified in the genus Macluravirus of the family Potyviridae on the basis of its inducing pinwheel inclusions in infected plants. There is no reason to expect that such changes will be less in the future. On the contrary, thanks to the fast developments in molecular biology, more and more knowledge of the intrinsic properties of viruses, i.e., those concerned with their genome, is being acquired. Therefore, we would prefer the present ICTV-approved species names (monomials) to those in which the genus name is incorporated in the species name, as is the case with the non-latinized binomials. In order to inform the reader about the affiliation of a virus, the official virus name may be followed by the genus name. For instance, ‘Tobacco mosaic virus, a tobamovirus, has been shown to …’. And in case of an enumeration of viruses in a text we may write:
Virology Division News
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‘Tobacco mosaic virus, Tobacco rattle virus, Potato virus X and Potato virus Y (tobamo-, tobra-, potex- and potyviruses, respectively)’. In non-English publications, the virus name should be in the local language, but when it is used for the first time, the official name and affiliation should be added
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