Mavirus virophage
Encyclopedia
Mavirus virophage is a double stranded DNA virus that infects the marine phagotropic flagellate Cafeteria roenbergensis
in the presence of a second virus - Cafeteria roenbergensis virus
.
The name is derived from Maverick virus.
The virophage was discovered by Fischer while he was working on Cafeteria roenbergensis virus as part of his PhD.
s.
The genome encodes a retroviral integrase
, an adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase
), a cysteine protease
and a protein primed DNA polymerase
B.
Cafeteria roenbergensis
Cafeteria roenbergensis is a marine Bicosoecid described in 1988 by Tom Fenchel and D.J. Patterson. It is the first known species of Cafeteria.-Description:...
in the presence of a second virus - Cafeteria roenbergensis virus
Cafeteria roenbergensis virus
Cafeteria roenbergensis virus is a giant virus that infects the marine zooplankton Cafeteria roenbergensis . CroV has the largest genome of any known marine virus, consisting of ~730,000 base pairs of double-stranded DNA...
.
The name is derived from Maverick virus.
The virophage was discovered by Fischer while he was working on Cafeteria roenbergensis virus as part of his PhD.
Virology
The genome is 19,063 bases in length and encodes 20 predicted coding sequences. Seven have homology to the Maverick/Polinton family of transposonTransposon
Transposable elements are sequences of DNA that can move or transpose themselves to new positions within the genome of a single cell. The mechanism of transposition can be either "copy and paste" or "cut and paste". Transposition can create phenotypically significant mutations and alter the cell's...
s.
The genome encodes a retroviral integrase
Integrase
Retroviral integrase is an enzyme produced by a retrovirus that enables its genetic material to be integrated into the DNA of the infected cell...
, an adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase
ATPase
ATPases are a class of enzymes that catalyze the decomposition of adenosine triphosphate into adenosine diphosphate and a free phosphate ion. This dephosphorylation reaction releases energy, which the enzyme harnesses to drive other chemical reactions that would not otherwise occur...
), a cysteine protease
Cysteine protease
Proteases are enzymes that degrade polypeptides. Cysteine proteases have a common catalytic mechanism that involves a nucleophilic cysteine thiol in a catalytic dyad. The first step is deprotonation of a thiol in the enzyme's active site by an adjacent amino acid with a basic side chain, usually a...
and a protein primed DNA polymerase
DNA polymerase
A DNA polymerase is an enzyme that helps catalyze in the polymerization of deoxyribonucleotides into a DNA strand. DNA polymerases are best known for their feedback role in DNA replication, in which the polymerase "reads" an intact DNA strand as a template and uses it to synthesize the new strand....
B.