The Plasmavirus is a family of bacteriophages, viruses that infects bacteria. Virions have an envelope, a nucleoprotein complex, and a capsid. They are 50-125 nm in diameter with a baggy or loose membrane.
Genome
The genome is condensed, non segmented and consists of a single molecule of circular, supercoiled double-stranded DNA, 12000 base pairs in length. The genome has a rather high G-C content of around 32 percent. [1]
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.
Literature
↑ 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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