First complete genome of an Ambidensovirus; Cherax quadricarinatus densovirus, from freshwater crayfish Cherax quadricarinatus.

In 1999, the causative agent of an epizootic in Cherax quadricarinatus was described, and given the provisional name Cherax quadricarinatus parvovirus-like. Sequencing of the 6334 nt genome identified three open-reading frames on the top strand coding NS3 (35.55 kDa), NS1 (67.36 kDa) and NS2 (35.18 kDa) and on the bottom strand a single open reading frame which most likely encodes 4 structural proteins. Motifs characteristic of the Densovirinae were found in the ORFs. Phylogenetic analysis of the amino acids in NS1 places the genome in the genus Ambidensovirus, most closely related to the marine sea star densovirus (75%, E=0.0) and distantly related to Acheta domestica densovirus (44.1%). The virus name is proposed as species Decapod ambidensovirus, variant Cherax quadricarinatus densovirus. This is the first Ambidensovirus to be found in decapod crustaceans and the first of the subfamily Densovirinae to be sequenced from a freshwater crayfish. Cherax quadricarinatus densovirus and sea star densovirus are the first highly related Densovirinae to infect phylogenetically disparate hosts and are thus far, unique among the Densovirinae.