Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 12, 2026

Tectivirus

Tectiviridae is a family of viruses with 12 species in five genera. Bacteria serve as natural hosts. Tectiviruses have no head-tail structure, but are capable of producing tail-like tubes of ~ 60×10 nm upon adsorption or after chloroform treatment. The name is derived from Latin tectus.

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Jun 12, 2026
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Tectiviridae
CryoEM model of Enterobacteria phage PRD1 capsid. PDB entry 1gw71
Virus classification Edit this classification
(unranked): Virus
Realm: Varidnaviria
Kingdom: Bamfordvirae
Phylum: Preplasmiviricota
Subphylum: Prepoliviricotina
Class: Tectiliviricetes
Order: Kalamavirales
Family: Tectiviridae
Genera

See text

Tectiviridae is a family of viruses with 12 species in five genera. Bacteria serve as natural hosts.23 Tectiviruses have no head-tail structure, but are capable of producing tail-like tubes of ~ 60×10 nm upon adsorption or after chloroform treatment. The name is derived from Latin tectus (meaning 'covered').4

Virology

Entry mechanism Enterobacteria phage PRD1 source ↗

The virions of Tectiviridae species are non-enveloped, icosahedral and display a pseudo T=25 symmetry.2 The capsid has two layers. The outer layer is a protein structure of 240 capsid proteins trimers, and the inner one is a proteinaceous lipid membrane which envelopes the virus genome. Apical spikes extending about 20 nanometers (nm) protrude from the icosahedrons vertices.4

The genome is a single molecule of linear double-stranded DNA of 15 kilobases in length, and has 30 open reading frames.2 It forms a tightly packed coil and encodes several structural proteins. It encodes about 30 proteins that are transcribed in operons. At least 9 structural proteins are present in the viron. The genome is about 66 megadaltons in weight and constitutes 14–15% of the virion by weight. Lipids constitute a further 15% by weight. Carbohydrates are not present.4

Life cycle

Viral replication is cytoplasmic. Entry into the host cell is achieved by adsorption into the host cell.2 After adsorption to the host cell surface the virion extrudes a tail-tube structure through a vertex for genome delivery into the host. Replication follows the DNA strand displacement model. DNA-templated transcription is the method of transcription.2 Capsid proteins polymerize around a lipoprotein vesicle translocated in the cytoplasm by virion assembly factors.2

Mature virons are released by lysis, which, in the case of PRD1, is achieved with the aid of virus-encoded lysis machinery consisting of four proteins: P15 (endolysin),5 P35 (holin),6 P36 and P37 (homologues of the Rz/Rz1 proteins of phage lambda).7

Taxonomy

Tectiviridae contains the following genera and species:3

  • Alphatectivirus
    • Alphatectivirus PR4
    • Alphatectivirus PRD1
  • Betatectivirus
    • Betatectivirus AP50
    • Betatectivirus Bam35
    • Betatectivirus GIL16
    • Betatectivirus sato
    • Betatectivirus sole
    • Betatectivirus Wip1
  • Deltatectivirus
    • Deltatectivirus forthebois
    • Deltatectivirus wheeheim
  • Epsilontectivirus
    • Epsilontectivirus toil
  • Gammatectivirus
    • Gammatectivirus GC1

Other unassigned phages:8

References

References

  1. San Martín C, Huiskonen JT, Bamford JK, Butcher SJ, Fuller SD, Bamford DH, Burnett RM (2002). "Minor proteins, mobile arms and membrane-capsid interactions in the bacteriophage PRD1 capsid". Nature Structural Biology. 9 (10): 756–63. doi:10.1038/nsb837. PMID 12219080. S2CID 32856328.
  2. "Viral Zone". ExPASy. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  3. "Virus Taxonomy: 2024 Release". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. Retrieved 24 March 2025.
  4. "ICTV Ninth Report; 2009 Taxonomy Release: Tectiviridae". ICTV. Archived from the original on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  5. Caldentey J, Hänninen AL, Bamford DH (1994). "Gene XV of bacteriophage PRD1 encodes a lytic enzyme with muramidase activity". Eur J Biochem. 225 (1): 341–346. doi:10.1111/j.1432-1033.1994.00341.x. PMID 7925454.
  6. Rydman PS, Bamford DH (2003). "Identification and mutational analysis of bacteriophage PRD1 holin protein P35". J Bacteriol. 185 (13): 3795–3803. doi:10.1128/JB.185.13.3795-3803.2003. PMC 161566. PMID 12813073.
  7. Krupovic M, Cvirkaite-Krupovic V, Bamford DH (2008). "Identification and functional analysis of the Rz/Rz1-like accessory lysis genes in the membrane-containing bacteriophage PRD1". Mol Microbiol. 68 (2): 492–503. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2958.2008.06165.x. PMID 18366440.
  8. Unclassified Tectiviridae. NCBI Taxonomy.
Further reading

Further reading

External links