The genome of the archaeal virus SIRV1 has features in common with genomes of eukaryal viruses

Abstract

The virus SIRV1 of the extremely thermophilic archaeon Sulfolobus has a double-stranded DNA genome similar in architecture to the genomes of eukaryal viruses of the families Poxviridae, Pycodnaviridae, and Asfarviridae: the two strands of the 32,301 bp long linear genome are covalently connected forming a continuous polynucleotide chain and 2029 kb long inverted repeats are present at the termini. Very likely it also shares with these viruses mechanisms of initiation of replication and resolution of replicative intermediates. © 2001 Academic Press.