''Mavirus'' is a genus of double stranded DNA virus that can infect the marine

phagotrophic Phagocytosis () is the process by which a cell uses its plasma membrane to engulf a large particle (≥ 0.5 μm), giving rise to an internal compartment called the phagosome. It is one type of endocytosis. A cell that performs phagocytosis is ca ...

flagellate ''

Cafeteria roenbergensis ''Cafeteria roenbergensis'' is a small bacterivorous marine flagellate. It was discovered by Danish marine ecologist Tom Fenchel and named by him and taxonomist David J. Patterson in 1988. It is in one of three genera of bicosoecids, and the f ...

'', but only in the presence of the giant ''

CroV ''Cafeteria roenbergensis'' virus (CroV), scientific name ''Rheavirus sinusmexicani'', is a giant virus that infects the marine bicosoecid flagellate ''Cafeteria roenbergensis'', a member of the microzooplankton community. History The virus was ...

'' virus (''Cafeteria roenbergensis''). The genus contains only one species: ''Mavirus cafeteriae''. ''Mavirus'' can integrate into the genome of cells of ''C. roenbergensis'', and thereby confer immunity to the population The name is derived from Maverick virus. The virophage was discovered by Matthias G. Fischer of the

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a Public university, public research university with campuses near University of British Columbia Vancouver, Vancouver and University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, in British Columbia, Canada ...

while he was working on Cafeteria roenbergensis virus as part of his PhD. __TOC__

Virology

The genome is 19,063 bases long and encodes 20 predicted coding sequences. Seven have homology to the Maverick/

Polinton Polintons (also called Mavericks) are large DNA transposons which contain genes with homology (biology), homology to virus, viral proteins and which are often found in eukaryotic genomes. They were first discovered in the mid-2000s and are the large ...

family of

transposon A transposable element (TE), also transposon, or jumping gene, is a type of mobile genetic element, a nucleic acid sequence in DNA that can change its position within a genome. The discovery of mobile genetic elements earned Barbara McClinto ...

s. The genome encodes a retroviral

integrase Retroviral integrase (IN) is an enzyme An enzyme () is a protein that acts as a biological catalyst by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme ...

, an adenosine triphosphatase (

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 ...

), a

cysteine protease Cysteine proteases, also known as thiol proteases, are hydrolase enzymes that degrade proteins. These proteases share a common catalytic mechanism that involves a nucleophilic cysteine thiol in a catalytic triad or dyad. Discovered by Gopal Chu ...

and a protein primed

DNA polymerase A DNA polymerase is a member of a family of enzymes that catalyze the synthesis of DNA molecules from nucleoside triphosphates, the molecular precursors of DNA. These enzymes are essential for DNA replication and usually work in groups to create t ...

Classification

''Mavirus'' is the sole genus in the family ''Maviroviridae'', which is the sole family in the order ''Lavidavirales''. ''Lavidavirales'' is in the class ''Virophaviricetes'', which contains all virophages.

References

Double-stranded DNA viruses Virophages Virus genera {{virus-stub