Family: Vertoviridae

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: June 2023

Summary

The family Vertoviridae includes dsDNA viruses with icosahedral capsids and contractile tails. Vertoviruses infect hyperhalophilic archaea, such as Natrialba magadii and Halobacterium salinarum (Table 1.Vertoviridae). The family was established in 2022 (Master Species List #37).

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

Characteristic

Description

Example

Natrialba virus PhiCh1 (MK450543), species Myohalovirus phiCh1, genus Myohalovirus

Virion

Icosahedral capsid and contractile tail with short terminal fibres (myovirus morphology)

Genome

DNA genome of 55–58 kbp, circularly permuted

Host range

Hyperhalophilic archaea, such as Natrialba magadii (halophlic/alkaliphilic) and Halobacterium salinarum (hyperhalophilic)

Taxonomy

Realm Duplodnaviria, kingdom Heunggongvirae, phylum Uroviricota, class Caudoviricetes: 2 genera and 3 species

Vertoviridae genome

Figure 1.Vertoviridae. Genome organisation of Natrialba virus PhiCh1, a member of the family Vertoviridae. Boxes indicate open reading frames as annotated on GenBank accession MK450543.

Vertoviridae taxonomy

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

Derivation of name

Vertoviridae: From Latin verto, meaning invert (referring to the invertible tail fiber locus)