page_title: Virophage
section_title: Taxonomy
hierarchical_section_title: Virophage / Taxonomy
caption_attribution_description: English: The parasites of the giants are giants. Plot comparing the virion and genome sizes for known virophages and some traditional satellite viruses. The ball sizes are proportional to the capsid sizes.
context_page_description: Virophages are small, double-stranded DNA viral phages that require the co-infection of another virus. The co-infecting viruses are typically giant viruses. Virophages rely on the viral replication factory of the co-infecting giant virus for their own replication. One of the characteristics of virophages is that they have a parasitic relationship with the co-infecting virus. Their dependence upon the giant virus for replication often results in the deactivation of the giant viruses. The virophage may improve the recovery and survival of the host organism.
  Unlike satellite viruses, virophages have a parasitic effect on their co-infecting virus. Virophages have been observed to render a giant virus inactive and thereby improve the condition of the host organism.
  All known virophages are grouped into the family Lavidaviridae.
context_section_description: The family Lavidaviridae with the two genera, Sputnikvirus and Mavirus, has been established by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses for classification of virophages. It is the sole family under order Priklausovirales (from Lithuanian priklausomas, "dependent"), which in turn is the sole order under class Maveriviricetes (from Maverick transposons).
  Family Lavidaviridae
  Genus Sputnikvirus
  Species Mimivirus-dependent virus Sputnik
  Species Mimivirus-dependent virus Zamilon
  Genus Mavirus
  Species Cafeteriavirus-dependent mavirus
  Unassigned genus
  Organic Lake virophage
  Additionally, virophage genomes identified from metagenomes have been classified together with the isolate virophages into 27 distinct clades with consistent genome length, gene content, and habitat distribution. Some fragmentary virophage sequences were additionally reported in a Loki's Castle metagenome.
caption: The parasites of the giants are giants Plot comparing the virion and genome sizes for known virophages and some traditional satellite viruses. The ball sizes are proportional to the capsid sizes.[1]
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