ABSTRACT
The family of Parvoviridae includes several small, single-stranded DNA-containing viruses isolated from invertebrate and vertebrate animals as well as from humans. This family of viruses consists of three genera Parvovirus, Dependovirus, and Densovirus. The parvoviruses isolated from invertebrates, mainly insects, form a unique group of viruses. Viral capsid is constructed by structural units, capsomers. In Parvoviridae including DNV, determination of the fine structure is difficult because of the small size of the virion. There are several reports on the number of capsomers in parvoviruses. Generally, vertebrate parvoviruses consist of three structural proteins. Densoviruses are autonomous viruses characterized by the separate encapsidation of complementary single-stranded DNA. However, these single complementary strands anneal upon extraction to form a double-stranded DNA. Parvovirus and dependovirus are vertebrate viruses. The former is able to replicate autonomously but the latter requires a coinfection with either a adenovirus or a herpesvirus.
