Smacoviridae Explained

Smacoviridae is a family of single-stranded DNA viruses.^[1] The genomes of this family are small (2.3–2.8 kilobases in length). The name Smacoviridae stands for 'small circular genome virus'.^[2] The genomes are circular single-stranded DNA and encode rolling-circle replication initiation proteins (Rep) and unique capsid proteins. As of 2021, 12 genera and 84 species are recognized in this family.^{[3] [4]} The viruses in this taxon were isolated from faecal samples from insects and vertebrates by metagenomic methods. Little is known about their biology. __TOC__

Taxonomy

The family Smacoviridae is the sole member of the order Cremevirales and together with other families of CRESS DNA viruses is included within the phylum Cressdnaviricota.^[5]

The family currently includes the following genera:

• Babosmacovirus
• Bonzesmacovirus
• Bostasmacovirus
• Bovismacovirus
• Cosmacovirus
• Dragsmacovirus
• Drosmacovirus
• Felismacovirus
• Huchismacovirus
• Inpeasmacovirus
• Porprismacovirus
• Simismacovirus

Biology

These viruses have single stranded genomes of 2.3–2.8 kilobases in length. The genome encodes two proteins, a Rep (replicator) and a CP (capsid) protein.

Notes and References

1. Varsani . A . Krupovic . M . Smacoviridae: a new family of animal-associated single-stranded DNA viruses. . Archives of Virology . 2018 . 163 . 7 . 2005–2015 . 10.1007/s00705-018-3820-z . 29572596. 4227007 .
2. Ng . TF . Zhang . W . Sachsenröder . J . Kondov . NO . da Costa . AC . Vega . E . Holtz . LR . Wu . G . Wang . D . Stine . CO . Antonio . M . Mulvaney . US . Muench . MO . Deng . X . Ambert-Balay . K . Pothier . P . Vinjé . J . Delwart . E . A diverse group of small circular ssDNA viral genomes in human and non-human primate stools. . Virus Evolution . 2015 . 1 . 1 . vev017 . 10.1093/ve/vev017 . 27774288. 5014484 .
3. Krupovic . M . Varsani . A . A 2021 taxonomy update for the family Smacoviridae. . Archives of Virology . 21 September 2021 . 166 . 11 . 3245–3253 . 10.1007/s00705-021-05224-6 . 34546431 . free .
4. Web site: Virus Taxonomy: 2020 Release . International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) . March 2021 . 11 May 2021.
5. Krupovic . M . Varsani . A . Kazlauskas . D . Breitbart . M . Delwart . E . Rosario . K . Yutin . N . Wolf . YI . Harrach . B . Zerbini . FM . Dolja . VV . Kuhn . JH . Koonin . EV . Cressdnaviricota: a Virus Phylum Unifying Seven Families of Rep-Encoding Viruses with Single-Stranded, Circular DNA Genomes. . Journal of Virology . 1 June 2020 . 94 . 12 . e00582-20 . 10.1128/JVI.00582-20 . 32269128. 7307096 .