MORPHOLOGICAL AND GENOMIC CHARACTERIZATION OF 2 REOVIRUSES (P AND W2)PATHOGENIC FOR MARINE CRUSTACEANS - DO THEY CONSTITUTE A NOVEL GENUS OF THE REOVIRIDAE FAMILY

P and W2 viruses are pathogenic in two crustaceans of the Mediterranea n Sea, Macropipus depurator and Carcinus mediterraneus, respectively. Investigation of virus, virus density and genome structure leads us to propose their classification in a genus similar to aquareovirus of th e Reoviridae family. They differ from aquareoviruses by the number of dsRNA segments forming the genome (12 instead of 11), their electropho retic pattern in PAGE (1/5/6 instead of 3/3/5), and the absence of vir us replication in fish cell lines.