ICTV Virus Taxonomy Profile: Apasviridae 2026

TL;DR

This paper summarizes the ICTV taxonomy profile for the Apasviridae family, which includes dsDNA viruses infecting marine archaea.

Contribution

It provides an updated classification and description of the Apasviridae family and its members.

Findings

Apasviridae viruses have a linear dsDNA genome of about 108 kbp.

They encode modules for DNA replication and virion morphogenesis.

The family is part of the order Magrovirales and includes the genus Agnivirus.

Abstract

The family Apasviridae includes dsDNA viruses associated with the marine archaeal lineage Poseidoniales. Members of this family have been identified using metagenomic analyses of brackish estuarine samples and are related to other ‘magroviruses’ infecting Poseidoniales archaea. The family belongs to the order Magrovirales and includes the genus Agnivirus and the species Agnivirus brisbanense. Viruses in the family possess a linear dsDNA genome of about 108 kbp and encode modules for DNA replication and virion morphogenesis, such as those relating to the formation of an icosahedral capsid and a helical tail, characteristic of members of the class Caudoviricetes. This is a summary of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Report on the family Apasviridae, which is available at ictv.global/report/apasviridae.

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