Circovirus

Circovirus
Virus classification
(unranked):	Virus
Realm:	Monodnaviria
Kingdom:	Shotokuvirae
Phylum:	Cressdnaviricota
Class:	Arfiviricetes
Order:	Cirlivirales
Family:	Circoviridae
Genus:	Circovirus

Circovirus is a genus of

Structure

Viruses in Circovirus are non-enveloped, with icosahedral and round^{[clarification needed]} geometries, and T=1 symmetry.^[7] The diameter is around 17 nm. Genomes are circular and non-segmented.^[5]

The virions of Circoviruses are surprisingly small, with diameters ranging from 17 up to 22 nm.^[8]

Life cycle

Viral replication is nuclear. Entry into the host cell is achieved by penetration. Replication follows the ssDNA rolling circle model. DNA templated transcription, with some alternative splicing mechanism is the method of transcription. The virus exits the host cell by nuclear egress, and nuclear pore export. Birds and pigs serve as the natural host.^[9][7] The virus is known to cause "immunosuppressive conditions" in animals that are infected; as well as having the ability to jump between species, creating difficulty in identifying the origin of infection.^{[7][10][11][12][13][14]} Transmission routes are fecal-oral and parental.^[5]

Genome

Circovirus has a monopartite, circular, and ssDNA genome of between 1759 and 2319nt, making it possibly the virus of shortest genome size in mammal viruses. The virus replicates through an dsDNA intermediate initiated by the Rep protein. Two major genes are transcribed from open reading frame (ORF) 1 and 2. ORF1 encodes Rep and Rep' for initiation of rolling-circle replication; ORF2 encodes Cap, the only structural and most immunogenic protein forming the viral capsid.^[15]

References