ICTV Report

Family: Pyrstoviridae (interim)

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: April 2023

Summary

The family Pyrstoviridae includes dsDNA viruses that infect hyperhalophilic archaea in the genus Haloarcula (Table 1.Pyrstoviridae). The family Pyrstoviridae was established in 2022 (Master Species List 37).

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

Characteristic

Description

Example

Haloarcula tailed virus 3 (MZ334527), species Hatrivirus HATV3, genus Hatrivirus

Virion

Icosahedral capsid and long contractile tail (myovirus morphology)

Genome

Linear, dsDNA genome of 42 kbp, circularly permuted

Host range

hyperhalophilic archaea of Haloarcula sp.

Taxonomy

Realm Duplodnaviria, kingdom Heunggongvirae, phylum Uroviricota, class Caudoviricetes, order Kirjokansivirales: 1 genus and 1 species
Pyrstoviridae genome

Figure 1.Pyrstoviridae. Genome organisation of Haloarcula tailed virus 3, a member of the family Pyrstoviridae. Boxes indicate open reading frames as annotated on GenBank accession MZ334527.
Pyrstoviridae taxonomy

Figure 2.Pyrstoviridae. Relationships of the taxa connected to the family Pyrstoviridae.

Derivation of name

Pyrstoviridae: From the Finnish word pyrstö, meaning fish tail.