Virusoid

Virusoid

A virusoid is an infectious agent that infects plants in conjunction with an "assistant virus"; the assistant virus harbors the virusoid and is required for successful infection. Virusoids consist of a single molecule of single-stranded circular RNA that is several hundred nucleotides long and codes for nothing but its own structure.

In size and "structure", virusoids are similar to viroids (circular RNA molecules that infect plants but don't require an assistant virus).

Virusoids, while being studied in virology, are not considered as viruses but as subviral particles. Since they depend on helper viruses, they are classified as satellites. In the virological taxonomy they appear as Satellites/Satellite nucleic acids/Subgroup 3: Circular satellite RNAs.

The term "virusoid" is also sometimes used more generally to refer to all satellites.


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  • virusoid — /vuy reuh soyd /, n. a small particle of RNA associated with the larger RNA of some infectious plant viruses. Cf. viroid. [1980 85] * * * …   Universalium

  • virusoid — noun A circular single stranded RNA, similar but not identical to a viroid, dependent on plant viruses for replication and encapsidation …   Wiktionary

  • virusoid — A plant pathogen resembling a viroid but having a much larger circular or linear RNA segment and a capsid; it is a satellite agent requiring an associated virus (helper virus) for replication. [virus + G. eidos, resembling] …   Medical dictionary

  • virusoid — vi•rus•oid [[t]ˈvaɪ rəˌsɔɪd[/t]] n. mcr a small particle of RNA associated with the larger RNA of some infectious plant viruses Compare viroid • Etymology: 1980–85 …   From formal English to slang

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  • Satelliten (Biologie) — Satelliten sind subvirale Partikel, die aus einem Nukleinsäuremolekül und einigen Proteinen bestehen. Sie können als unselbständige Viren aufgefasst werden, die allein nicht in der Lage sind, sich in einer Wirtszelle zu vermehren. Sie benötigen… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Satellite (biology) — Taxobox color = violet virus group = unranked classis = Subviral agents unranked ordo = Satellite subdivision ranks = Groups subdivision = Satellite viruses Satellite nucleic acidsA Satellite is a subviral agent composed of nucleic acid that… …   Wikipedia

  • Sputnikvirus — Sputnik Virus Systematik Reich: Viren Ordnung: nicht klassifiziert Familie: nicht klassifiziert Gattung: nicht klassifiziert Art …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Virophage — Sputnik Virus Systematik Reich: Viren Ordnung: nicht klassifiziert Familie: nicht klassifiziert Gattung: nicht klassifiziert Art …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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