Myoviridae

The Myoviridae family includes six genera of bacteriophages with double-stranded DNA molecule as a genome. The members of this family possess an icosahedral capsid and a contractile tail; because of this contractile property, the name of gr myos ( μυός ) is derived from muscle. Within the order Caudovirales the Myoviridae characterized by particularly large, partially elongated capsids (eg T4 phage: 111x78 nm) and a very large genome ( 34-169 kbp ) from. The most important representative is the early discovered T4 phage ( Enterobacteria phage T4 ), the particular morphology and genetic properties in molecular biology research played a prominent role. The derived from this phage T4 DNA ligase can still find use in molecular biology.

Myoviridae have only bacteria and archaea to the host.

System

• Genus T4 -like viruses (8 species, 24 provisional species) Species T4 phage ( 12 subtypes, including T2 phage )

• Genus P1 -like viruses (2 species, 8 preliminary) Species Enterobacteria phage P1 ( = P1 phage )
• Species Aeromonas phage 43

• Genus P2 -like viruses (2 species, 18 preliminary) Species Enterobacteria phage P2 ( = P2 phage )
• Species Haemophilus phage HP1

• Genus Mu -like viruses ( one species, 5 tentative ) Species Enterobacteria phage Mu

• Genus SPO1 -like viruses ( one species, 10 preliminary) Species Bacillus phage SPO1

• Genus PhiH -like viruses Species Halobacterium phage PhiH
• Species Halobacterium phage Hs1 (preliminary)

• Genus PhiKZ -like viruses Species Pseudomonas phage PhiKZ

• Genus I3 -like viruses Species Mycobacterium phage I3