Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Univ Paris-Sud 11, UMR 8621, CNRS 91405, Orsay, France.
Biochem Soc Trans. 2011 Jan;39(1):36-44. doi: 10.1042/BST0390036.
Several families of plasmids and viruses (PVs) have now been described in hyperthermophilic archaea of the order Thermococcales. One family of plasmids replicates by the rolling circle mechanism, whereas most other PVs probably replicate by the θ mode. PVs from Thermococcales encode novel families of DNA replication proteins that have only detectable homologues in other archaeal PVs. PVs from different families share a common gene pool and co-evolve with their hosts. Most Thermococcales also produce virus-like membrane vesicles similar to eukaryotic microparticles (ectosomes). Some membrane vesicles of Thermococcus nautilus harbour the plasmid pTN1, suggesting that vesicles can be involved in plasmid transfer between species.
现已在热球菌目中的嗜热古菌中描述了几类质体和病毒 (PVs)。一类质体通过滚环机制进行复制，而大多数其他 PV 可能通过 θ 模式进行复制。来自热球菌目的 PV 编码新型的 DNA 复制蛋白家族，这些家族在其他古菌 PV 中只有可检测到的同源物。不同家族的 PV 共享一个共同的基因库，并与其宿主共同进化。大多数热球菌还产生类似于真核微粒体 (ectosomes)的病毒样膜囊泡。有些纳氏古球菌的膜囊泡含有质体 pTN1，表明囊泡可以参与物种之间的质粒转移。
