Poliovirus
| Poliovirus | |
|---|---|
| TEM micrograph of poliovirus virions. Scale bar (white): 50 nm | |
| A type 3 poliovirus capsid, protein side chains coloured | |
| Virus classification | |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Riboviria |
| Kingdom: | Orthornavirae |
| Phylum: | Pisuviricota |
| Class: | Pisoniviricetes |
| Order: | Picornavirales |
| Family: | Picornaviridae |
| Genus: | Enterovirus |
| Species: | |
| Virus: | Poliovirus |
| Serotypes | |
| |
Poliovirus, the causative agent of polio (also known as poliomyelitis), is a serotype of the species Enterovirus C, in the family of Picornaviridae. There are three poliovirus serotypes, numbered 1, 2, and 3.
Poliovirus is composed of an RNA genome and a protein capsid. The genome is a single-stranded positive-sense RNA (+ssRNA) genome that is about 7500 nucleotides long. The viral particle is about 30 nm in diameter with icosahedral symmetry. Because of its short genome and its simple composition—only a strand of RNA and a nonenveloped icosahedral protein coat encapsulating it—poliovirus is widely regarded as the simplest significant virus.
Poliovirus is one of the most well-characterized viruses, and has become a useful model system for understanding the biology of RNA viruses.