Journal
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
Volume 35, Issue 6, Pages 1035-1054Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6976.2011.00280.x
Keywords
archaea; viruses; viral diversity; hyperthermophiles; halophiles; virus-host interactions
Categories
Funding
- CONACYT
- Agence Nationale de la Recherche, France
- Association Francaise des Femmes Diplomees des Universites (AFFDU)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Since their discovery in the early 1980s, viruses that infect the third domain of life, the Archaea, have captivated our attention because of their virions' unusual morphologies and proteins, which lack homologues in extant databases. Moreover, the life cycles of these viruses have unusual features, as revealed by the recent discovery of a novel virus egress mechanism that involves the formation of specific pyramidal structures on the host cell surface. The available data elucidate the particular nature of the archaeal virosphere and shed light on questions concerning the origin and evolution of viruses and cells. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of archeoviruses, their interaction with hosts and plasmids and their role in the evolution of life.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available