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.
This family is poorly studied and little is known about the diversity and biology of these viruses.
Taxonomy
The family has one genus, Plasmavirus, which has one recognized member: Acholeplasma virus L2.
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
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
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
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.
^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.