Corticovirus | |
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The assembled capsid made of P2 and P3 proteins.[1] | |
Virus classification | |
(unranked): | Virus |
Realm: | Varidnaviria |
Kingdom: | Bamfordvirae |
Phylum: | Preplasmiviricota |
Class: | Tectiliviricetes |
Order: | Vinavirales |
Family: | Corticoviridae |
Genus: | Corticovirus |
Corticovirus is a genus of viruses in the family Corticoviridae.[2] Corticoviruses are bacteriophages; that is, their natural hosts are bacteria. The genus contains two species.[2][3] The name is derived from Latin cortex, corticis (meaning 'crust' or 'bark'). However, prophages closely related to PM2 are abundant in the genomes of aquatic bacteria, suggesting that the ecological importance of corticoviruses might be underestimated.[4] Bacteriophage PM2 was first described in 1968 after isolation from seawater sampled from the coast of Chile.[5]