Steitzviridae (taxid:2842332)

VIRION

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Non-enveloped, spherical virion about 26 nm in diameter with T=3 icosahedral symmetry composed of 178 CP proteins and a single maturation protein .

GENOME

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Monopartite, linear, ssRNA(+) genome about 3.4-4.3 kb in size. The 5' end is a triphosphate. Encodes at least 3 proteins.

GENE EXPRESSION

The virion RNA is infectious and serves as both the genome and viral messenger RNA.

ENZYMES

REPLICATION

  1. Adsorption to F pili of target cells induces cleavage and release of the maturation protein.
  2. Genomic RNA enters the bacterium.
  3. Viral proteins are translated.
  4. Replication of genomic RNA into a minus strand, which serves as template to produce new positive strand genomes.
  5. Late in infection CP protein bind to a RNA hairpin on the genome, and new virus particles are assembled in the cytoplasm.
  6. Release by cell lysis.