''Fletchervirus'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

virus 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 ...

of the

subfamily In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...

Eucampyvirinae ''Eucampyvirinae'' is a subfamily of viruses in the order ''Caudovirales'', in the family ''Myoviridae ''Myoviridae'' is a family of bacteriophages in the order '' Caudovirales''. Bacteria and archaea serve as natural hosts. There are 625 speci ...

and the

phylum In biology, a phylum (; plural: phyla) is a level of classification or taxonomic rank below kingdom and above class. Traditionally, in botany the term division has been used instead of phylum, although the International Code of Nomenclature f ...

Uroviricota (

Bacteriophage A bacteriophage (), also known informally as a ''phage'' (), is a duplodnaviria virus that infects and replicates within bacteria and archaea. The term was derived from "bacteria" and the Greek φαγεῖν ('), meaning "to devour". Bacteri ...

). This

contains 5 different

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

. The family

Myoviridae ''Myoviridae'' is a family of bacteriophages in the order ''Caudovirales''. Bacteria and archaea serve as natural hosts. There are 625 species in this family, assigned to eight subfamilies and 217 genera. Subdivisions The subfamily ''Tevenvirinae ...

that this

is a part of is identified from other

bacteriophage A bacteriophage (), also known informally as a ''phage'' (), is a duplodnaviria virus that infects and replicates within bacteria and archaea. The term was derived from "bacteria" and the Greek φαγεῖν ('), meaning "to devour". Bacteri ...

species by its choice of host, bacteria of the

Campylobacter ''Campylobacter'' (meaning "curved bacteria") is a genus of Gram-negative bacteria. ''Campylobacter'' typically appear comma- or s-shaped, and are motile. Some ''Campylobacter'' species can infect humans, sometimes causing campylobacteriosis, a d ...

''. ''Fletchervirus'' like most

are harmless to humans and thus have no

antiviral drug Antiviral drugs are a class of medication used for treating viral infections. Most antivirals target specific viruses, while a broad-spectrum antiviral is effective against a wide range of viruses. Unlike most antibiotics, antiviral drugs do n ...

s associated with them. They can be found worldwide and just like most

are found in almost all

ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

environments including humans.

Comparative morphology

''Fletchervirus'' differs from its sibling ('' Firehammervirus'')

morphologically. Members of the

have heads with a larger diameter and tails that are far shorter. For example, the species ''Campylobacter'' virus CP81 in the ''Fletchervirus''

has a head with 96 nm diameter, and a 97 nm long tail, whereas ''Campylobacter'' virus CP220 in the '' Firehammervirus''

has a head with a 93 nm diameter and a 140 nm long tail.

Genetically Genetics is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in organisms.Hartl D, Jones E (2005) It is an important branch in biology because heredity is vital to organisms' evolution. Gregor Mendel, a Moravian Augustinian friar working in ...

, members of Fletchervirus have a smaller

genome In the fields of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding ge ...

that codes for less

protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, respo ...

s, they dsDNA is also

permute In mathematics, a permutation of a set is, loosely speaking, an arrangement of its members into a sequence or linear order, or if the set is already ordered, a rearrangement of its elements. The word "permutation" also refers to the act or proc ...

d circularly. Whereas, members of '' Firehammervirus'' have a larger

with more

s and a liner

d dsDNA complex. For example, ''Campylobacter'' virus CP81 has a

of 132 kb that codes for 149

s versus ''Campylobacter'' virus CP220 that has a

197 kb that codes for 257

Host and phage therapy

'' is a

Gram-negative bacteria Gram-negative bacteria are bacteria that do not retain the crystal violet stain used in the Gram staining method of bacterial differentiation. They are characterized by their cell envelopes, which are composed of a thin peptidoglycan cell wall ...

. It is found mostly in raw meats, and if consumed can be a terrible

pathogen In biology, a pathogen ( el, πάθος, "suffering", "passion" and , "producer of") in the oldest and broadest sense, is any organism or agent that can produce disease. A pathogen may also be referred to as an infectious agent, or simply a germ ...

for humans often causing diarrhea, cramps, fever and pain.

Bacteriophage therapy Phage therapy, viral phage therapy, or phagotherapy is the therapeutic use of bacteriophages for the treatment of pathogenic bacterial infections. This therapeutic approach emerged at the beginning of the 20th century but was progressively r ...

is a growing research field, particularly in many species of

. Members of the Fletchervirus have been specifically and promisingly tested for medical use to fight strands of

antibiotic resistant Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) occurs when microbes evolve mechanisms that protect them from the effects of antimicrobials. All classes of microbes can evolve resistance. Fungi evolve antifungal resistance. Viruses evolve antiviral resistance. P ...

Taxonomy

Parent subfamily: Eucampyvirinae Child species: * '' Campylobacter virus CP81'' * '' Campylobacter virus CP30A'' * '' Campylobacter virus CPX'' * '' Campylobacter virus Los1'' * '' Campylobacter virus NCTC12673'' Sibling genus: '' Firehammervirus'' Nibling species: * '' Campylobacter virus CP21'' * '' Campylobacter virus CP220'' * '' Campylobacter virus CPt10'' * '' Campylobacter virus IBB35''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q69866558 Myoviridae Campylobacterota Virus genera