Plasmaviridae is a family of bacteria-infecting viruses. Acholeplasma species serve as natural hosts. There is one genus in the family, Plasmavirus, which contains one species: Acholeplasma virus L2.[1][2][3] All viruses known in this family have been isolated from species in the class Mollicutes.

Plasmavirus
EM of a plasmavirus
Virus classification Edit this classification
(unranked): Virus
Family: Plasmaviridae
Genus: Plasmavirus
Species
  • Plasmavirus L2
Synonyms

Plasmavirus

  • Plasmavirus ICTV 1981
  • Mycoplasma virus type 2 phages ICTV 1978

Plasmavirus L2

  • Plasmavirus L2 ICTV 2021
  • Acholeplasma virus L2 ICTV 2015
  • Acholeplasma phage L2 ICTV 1991
  • Phage MV-L2 ICTV 1978

This family is poorly studied and little is known about the diversity and biology of these viruses.

Taxonomy

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The family has one genus, Plasmavirus, which has one recognized member: Acholeplasma virus L2.

There are five tentative members of Plasmavirus:

Genome

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The genome is condensed, nonsegmented and consists of a single molecule of circular, supercoiled double-stranded DNA, 12 kilobase pairs in length. The genome has a rather high G-C content of ~32%.[4] The genome has 14 open reading frames,[2] and encodes at least 15 proteins, of which at least four are structural proteins embedded in the membrane.[citation needed]

Structure

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Virions are quasi-spherical, slightly pleomorphic, enveloped and about 80 nm (range 50–125 nm) in diameter.[1]

Genus Structure Symmetry Capsid Genomic arrangement Genomic segmentation
Plasmavirus Spherical to pleomorphic Undefined Enveloped Circular Monopartite

Life cycle

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Viral replication is cytoplasmic. DNA-templated transcription is the method of transcription. The virus exits the host cell by budding. Acholeplasma species serve as the natural host.[2]

Genus Host details Tissue tropism Entry details Release details Replication site Assembly site Transmission
Plasmavirus Bacteria: Acholeplasma sp. None Fusion Membrane budding Cytoplasm Unknown Unknown

Infection

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A productive infectious cycle begins before a lysogenic cycle establishes the virus in the infected bacteria. After initial infection of the viral genome the virus may become latent within the host. Lysogeny involves integration into the host chromosome.

References

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  1. ^ a b Krupovic, M; ICTV Report Consortium (May 2018). "ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Plasmaviridae". The Journal of General Virology. 99 (5): 617–618. doi:10.1099/jgv.0.001060. PMID 29611799.
  2. ^ a b c "Viral Zone". ExPASy. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  3. ^ "Virus Taxonomy: 2020 Release". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). March 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  4. ^ Büchen-Osmond, C. (Ed) (2003). 00.053. Plasmaviridae. In: ICTVdB—The Universal Virus Database, version 3. Büchen-Osmond, C. (Ed), ICTVdB Management, The Earth Institute and Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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