Phikzvirus

Phikzvirus
Electron micrograph of a Pseudomonas virus phiKZ virion
Virus classification Edit this classification
(unranked): Virus
Realm: Duplodnaviria
Kingdom: Heunggongvirae
Phylum: Uroviricota
Class: Caudoviricetes
Family: Chimalliviridae
Genus: Phikzvirus

Phikzvirus (synonym: PhiKZ-like viruses, Phikzlikevirus before 2015) is a genus of viruses in the order Caudovirales, in the family Chimalliviridae. Bacteria serve as natural hosts. There are three species in this genus.[1][2][3]

Phages in this genus are considered large or "jumbo" phages. Three phages in this genus (φKZ, φPA3, and 201φ2-1) are known to assemble a "phage nucleus" structure similar in function to the eukaryotic cell nucleus that encloses DNA as well as replication and transcription machinery. The replicating DNA is enclosed by a 2D protein lattice currently known to be made of only the Phage Nuclear Enclosure (PhuN) protein. These phages also establish a bipolar spindle using a tubulin-like PhuZ protein which centers the phage nucleus. It provides immunity to host defenses like restriction enzymes and CRISPR-Cas systems.[4]

  1. ^ "Viral Zone". ExPASy. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  2. ^ "Virus Taxonomy: 2020 Release". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). March 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference NCBI was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Chaikeeratisak, V; Nguyen, K; Egan, ME; Erb, ML; Vavilina, A; Pogliano, J (15 August 2017). "The Phage Nucleus and Tubulin Spindle Are Conserved among Large Pseudomonas Phages". Cell Reports. 20 (7): 1563–1571. doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2017.07.064. PMC 6028189. PMID 28813669.