title: [Enigmatic archaeal viruses].
abstract: Viruses infecting microorganisms of the third domain of life, Archaea, are still poorly characterized: to date, only about fifty of these viruses have been isolated. Their hosts are hyperthermophilic, acidothermophilic, and extreme halophilic or methanogenic archaea. Their morphotypes are highly diverse and their gene content is very specific. Some of these viruses have developed extraordinary mechanisms to open the cell wall thanks to the formation of exceptional pyramidal nanostructures. The still limited knowledge about the biology of archaeoviruses should develop rapidly in the coming years.
authors: Irstea, UR HBAN, 92161 Antony, France.
authors: Ariane
authors: A
authors: Bize
authors: Institut Pasteur, Unité de Biologie Moléculaire du Gène chez les Extrêmophiles, 25 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France - UMR 7138 Systématique, Adaptation, Évolution, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 7 quai Saint Bernard, 75252 Paris Cedex 05, France.
authors: Guennadi
authors: G
authors: Sezonov
authors: Institut Pasteur, Unité de Biologie Moléculaire du Gène chez les Extrêmophiles, 25 rue du Dr. Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Prangishvili
mesh_terms: D001105:Archaea / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D023641:Archaeal Viruses / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D018406:Virus Physiological Phenomena