Halorubrum pleomorphic virus 1 (HRPV-1) is a single stranded DNA virus that infects the species of the

archaea Archaea ( ) is a Domain (biology), domain of organisms. Traditionally, Archaea only included its Prokaryote, prokaryotic members, but this has since been found to be paraphyletic, as eukaryotes are known to have evolved from archaea. Even thou ...

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

Halorubrum ''Halorubrum'' is a genus in the family Halorubraceae. ''Halorubrum'' species are usually halophilic and can be found in waters with high salt concentration such as the Dead Sea or Lake Zabuye. Genetic exchange A population of the haloarchaea '' ...

''.Pietila, M, Laurinavicius S, Sund, J, Roine E & Bamford D (2009) The single-stranded DNA genome of novel archaeal virus Halorubrum pleomorphic virus 1 Is enclosed in the envelope decorated with glycoprotein spikes. J Virol 84 (2) 788-798 It is unlike any other known virus infecting the archaea with a single stranded DNA genome and an external lipid envelope and is classified in the family ''Pleolipoviridae'', genus ''Alphapleolipovirus'', species ''Alphapleolipovirus finnoniense''. __TOC__

Virology

The virons are pleomorphic is shape with an external lipid envelope. There are two main structural proteins (VP3 and VP4) of molecular weights 15 and 53 kilodaltons respectively. The genome does not appear to be associated with a nucleoprotein. The spike protein (VP4) is glycosylated. The lipid envelope is similar to its host's composition. VP3 is a membrane protein that does not appears to be exposed to the external environment. It may be organised to form a shell around the genome as is the case in other viruses but this is not yet known. This virus infects members of the genus ''Halorubrum''. Infection appears to be productive without lysis of the host like may of the archaeal viruses. Exit is likely to be by budding from the cell membrane.

Genome

The genome is a single stranded DNA molecule 7048 bases in length. It encodes nine

open reading frame In molecular biology, reading frames are defined as spans of DNA sequence between the start and stop codons. Usually, this is considered within a studied region of a prokaryotic DNA sequence, where only one of the six possible reading frames ...

s. Two of these encode the structural proteins VP3 and VP4. Another (VP8) seems likely to be an

ATPase ATPases (, Adenosine 5'-TriPhosphatase, adenylpyrophosphatase, ATP monophosphatase, triphosphatase, ATP hydrolase, adenosine triphosphatase) are a class of enzymes that catalyze the decomposition of ATP into ADP and a free phosphate ion or ...

. The functions of the remaining proteins is not known.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5643445 Single-stranded DNA viruses Archaeal viruses