Plasmaviridae
Family of viruses
title: "Plasmaviridae" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["plasmaviridae", "bacteriophages", "virus-families"] description: "Family of viruses" topic_path: "general/plasmaviridae" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plasmaviridae" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Family of viruses ::
| taxon = Plasmavirus | image = Plasmavirus.JPG | image_caption = EM of a plasmavirus | subdivision =
- 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
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 phage L2 (Plasmavirus L2). 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 phage L2 (Plasmavirus L2).
There are five tentative members of Plasmavirus:
- Mycoplasmatales virus-laidlawii 1 (L1)
- Mycoplasmatales virus-laidlawii 2 (L2)
- Mycoplasmatales virus-laidlawii 3 (L3)
- Mycoplasmatales virus-laidlawii 51 (L51)
- Mycoplasmatales virus-laidlawii O1 (O1)
Genome
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%. The genome has 14 open reading frames,
Structure
Virions are quasi-spherical, slightly pleomorphic, enveloped and about 80 nm (range 50–125 nm) in diameter.
::data[format=table] | Genus | Structure || Symmetry | Capsid | Genomic arrangement | Genomic segmentation | |---|---|---|---|---| | Plasmavirus | Spherical to pleomorphic | Undefined | Enveloped | Circular | ::
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.
::data[format=table]
| 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.
References
References
- (May 2018). "ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Plasmaviridae.". The Journal of General Virology.
- "Viral Zone". ExPASy.
- (March 2021). "Virus Taxonomy: 2020 Release". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV).
- "Species List: ''Plasmaviridae''". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.
- 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.
- (May 2018). "ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: ''Plasmaviridae''". J Gen Virol.
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