| Mavirus virophage | |
|---|---|
| Virus classification | |
| Group: | Group I (dsDNA) |
| Species | |
|
Mavirus virophage |
|
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.[1]
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.
The genome is 19,063 bases in length and encodes 20 predicted coding sequences. Seven have homology to the Maverick/Polinton family of transposons.
The genome encodes a retroviral integrase, an adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase), a cysteine protease and a protein primed DNA polymerase B.