ICTV Report
Family: Pyrstoviridae (Interim Report)
This is a summary page created by the ICTV Report Editors using information from associated Taxonomic Proposals and the Master Species List.
Edited by: Mart Krupovic
Posted: April 2023, updated December 2024
Summary
The family Pyrstoviridae includes dsDNA viruses that infect hyperhalophilic archaea in the genus Haloarcula (Table 1 Pyrstoviridae). The family Pyrstoviridae was established in 2022 (Master Species List 37).
Table 1 Pyrstoviridae. Characteristics of members of the family Pyrstoviridae.
Characteristic Description
Example Haloarcula tailed virus 3 (MZ334527), species Hatrivirus caudatum, genus Hatrivirus
Virion Icosahedral capsid and long contractile tail (siphovirus morphology)
Genome Linear, dsDNA genome of 42 kbp, circularly permuted (Figure 1 Pyrstoviridae)
Host range hyperhalophilic archaea of Haloarcula sp.
Taxonomy Realm Duplodnaviria, kingdom Heunggongvirae, phylum Uroviricota, class Caudoviricetes, order Kirjokansivirales: 1 genus and 1 species (Figure 2 Pyrstoviridae)
Figure 1 Pyrstoviridae. Genome organisation of Haloarcula tailed virus 3, a member of the family Pyrstoviridae. Boxes indicate open reading frames as annotated on GenBank accession MZ334527.
Figure 2 Pyrstoviridae. Taxonomy of the family Pyrstoviridae.
Derivation of name
Pyrstoviridae: From the Finnish word pyrstö, meaning fish tail.