Near-complete sequence of a novel reovirus genome identified from Callinectes sapidus

The Atlantic blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, is an estuarine keystone species that functions as both predator and prey in food webs and supports a multi-million dollar fishery along the western Atlantic coast from the US mid-Atlantic to southern Brazil. Throughout their range, blue crabs are host to viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan, and metazoan pathogens. Reoviruses are non-enveloped icosahedral viruses with genomes comprised of 9 to 12 segments of linear double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). They have been found in diverse host species including brachyuran crustaceans. This work describes the sequence of a novel reovirus genome, discovered in Callinectes sapidus. The double-stranded RNA genome of CsRV2 consists of 12 segments that encode 13 putative proteins. High nucleotide sequence identity with Eriocheir sinensis Reovirus 905 revealed this virus belongs to Cardoreovirus within the Reoviridae family.