The genus Petuvirus belongs to the family Caulimoviridae and is classified under group VII DNA

DNA

Deoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...

 reverse transcribing viruses.

Petuviruses are plant viruses. Their genome

Genome

In modern molecular biology and genetics, the genome is the entirety of an organism's hereditary information. It is encoded either in DNA or, for many types of virus, in RNA. The genome includes both the genes and the non-coding sequences of the DNA/RNA....

 is unsegmented and monopartite (meaning all genes are found within one segment of nucleic acid

Nucleic acid

Nucleic acids are biological molecules essential for life, and include DNA and RNA . Together with proteins, nucleic acids make up the most important macromolecules; each is found in abundance in all living things, where they function in encoding, transmitting and expressing genetic information...

) containing a double-stranded DNA molecule that forms an open circle. Its genome is 7200 nucleotides long and has a guanine

Guanine

Guanine is one of the four main nucleobases found in the nucleic acids DNA and RNA, the others being adenine, cytosine, and thymine . In DNA, guanine is paired with cytosine. With the formula C5H5N5O, guanine is a derivative of purine, consisting of a fused pyrimidine-imidazole ring system with...

 + cytosine

Cytosine

Cytosine is one of the four main bases found in DNA and RNA, along with adenine, guanine, and thymine . It is a pyrimidine derivative, with a heterocyclic aromatic ring and two substituents attached . The nucleoside of cytosine is cytidine...

 content of 38.2%. There are terminally redundant sequences on the genome which have direct terminal repeats that are reiterated internally in inverted form. The virus codes for 2 ORFs

Open reading frame

In molecular genetics, an open reading frame is a DNA sequence that does not contain a stop codon in a given reading frame.Normally, inserts which interrupt the reading frame of a subsequent region after the start codon cause frameshift mutation of the sequence and dislocate the sequences for stop...

.

The viral capsid is unenveloped. Its capsid

Capsid

A capsid is the protein shell of a virus. It consists of several oligomeric structural subunits made of protein called protomers. The observable 3-dimensional morphological subunits, which may or may not correspond to individual proteins, are called capsomeres. The capsid encloses the genetic...

 shells are multilayered. The capsid is round to elongate with icosahedral symmetry and the virus is composed of 16% nucleic acid. Petuviruses have a buoyant density

Density

The mass density or density of a material is defined as its mass per unit volume. The symbol most often used for density is ρ . In some cases , density is also defined as its weight per unit volume; although, this quantity is more properly called specific weight...

 in CsCl of 1.31 g cm-3 and there are 1 sedimenting component(s) found in purified preparations. The sedimentation

Sedimentation

Sedimentation is the tendency for particles in suspension to settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained, and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to the forces acting on them: these forces can be due to gravity, centrifugal acceleration...

coefficient is 218–251.5–285 S20w while the thermal inactivation point (TIP) is at 55–57.5–60°C.

Petuviruses (including other members of the Caulimovirusus such as soymoviruses and Cavemoviruses) form isometric particles whereas members of Badnaviruses and Tungroviruses have bacilliform virus particles. Lipids are not reported.