ICTV Report

Family: Ahmunviridae (Interim Report)

This is a summary page created by the ICTV Report Editors using information from associated Taxonomic Proposals and the Master Species List.

Edited by: Mart Krupovic
Posted: October 2023

Summary

The family Ahmunviridae includes dsDNA that infect anaerobic methanotrophic archaea (Table 1 Ahmunviridae). The family Ahmunviridae was established in 2023 (Master Species List #38).

Table 1 Ahmunviridae. Characteristics of members of the family Ahmunviridae.

CharacteristicDescription
ExampleMethanophagales virus PBV300 (OP413840), species Yumkaaxvirus pescaderoense, genus Yumkaaxvirus
VirionOnly known from metagenomic studies, predicted to have rod-shaped virions
GenomeLinear dsDNA genome of 41.5 kb, with inverted terminal repeats of 99 bp (Figure 1 Ahmunviridae)
Host rangeAnaerobic methanotrophic archaea
TaxonomyRealm Adnaviria, kingdom Zilligvirae, phylum Taleaviricota, class Tokiviricetes, order Maximonvirales: 1 genus and 1 species (Figure 2 Ahmunviridae)
Ahmunviridae genome
Figure 1 Ahmunviridae. Genome organisation of Methanophagales virus PBV300, a member of the family Ahmunviridae. Boxes indicate open reading frames as annotated on GenBank accession OP413840.
Ahmunviridae taxonomy
Figure 2 Ahmunviridae. Relationships of the taxa connected to the family Ahmunviridae.

Derivation of name

Ahmunviridae: after Ah Mun, the god of agriculture in Mayan mythology

Yumkaaxvirus: after Yum Kaax, the god of the woods, the wild nature, and the hunt in Mayan mythology