Ortervirales

Ortervirales is an order of single-stranded RNA viruses that primarily infect fungi. This taxonomic group was established in 2018 to classify viruses with distinct morphological and genomic features, including long, flexible, non-enveloped virions with a segmented genome. The order is named after the type genus *Ortervirus*, derived from the Latin *orter* ("to shake"), reflecting the virus’s segmented genome structure.

Viruses in Ortervirales possess genomes composed of multiple linear RNA segments, each encoding one or more proteins. These segments are typically unsegmented within the virion but can reassort during mixed infections, contributing to genetic diversity. The virions are filamentous, measuring approximately 10–20 nanometers in diameter and up to several micrometers in length, lacking a lipid envelope.

The order includes several families, with *Orterviridae* being the most well-characterized. Members of this family have been isolated from diverse fungal hosts, including *Aspergillus*, *Penicillium*, and *Neurospora*. Their replication cycle involves transcription of genomic RNA into messenger RNA and subsequent translation within the host cell, followed by assembly of new virions.

Ortervirales viruses are of ecological interest due to their potential role in fungal population dynamics and their possible use in biocontrol strategies. Research into these viruses remains limited, but their unique genomic organization and host specificity offer opportunities for studying virus-fungus interactions and evolutionary biology. Further classification and characterization may expand the known diversity of this order.