''Bdellomicrovirus'' is a genus of

viruses A virus is a submicroscopic infectious agent that replicates only inside the living cells of an organism. Viruses infect all life forms, from animals and plants to microorganisms, including bacteria and archaea. Since Dmitri Ivanovsky's 1 ...

, in the family ''

Microviridae ''Microviridae'' is a family of bacteriophages with a single-stranded DNA genome. The name of this family is derived from the ancient Greek word (), meaning "small". This refers to the size of their genomes, which are among the smallest of the ...

'', in the subfamily '' Gokushovirinae''. ''

Bdellovibrio ''Bdellovibrio'' is a genus of Gram-negative, obligate aerobic bacteria. One of the more notable characteristics of this genus is that members can prey upon other Gram-negative bacteria and feed on the biopolymers, e.g. proteins and nucleic acid ...

'' bacteria serve as natural hosts. There are two species in this genus.

Structure

Viruses in ''Bdellomicrovirus'' are non-enveloped, with icosahedral and Round geometries, and T=1 symmetry. The diameter is around 30 nm. Genomes are circular, around 4.5kb in length.

Life cycle

Viral replication is cytoplasmic. Entry into the host cell is achieved by pilus-mediated adsorption into the host cell. Replication follows the ssDNA rolling circle model. DNA templated transcription is the method of transcription. The virus exits the host cell by bacteria lysis. ''Bdellovibrio'' bacteria serve as the natural host.

References

External links

Viralzone: Bdellomicrovirus

ICTV
{{Taxonbar, from=Q18819531 Gokushovirinae Virus genera