Catovirus


Catovirus is a genus of giant double-stranded DNA-containing viruses. This genus was detected during the analysis of metagenome samples of bottom sediments of reservoirs at the wastewater treatment plant in Klosterneuburg, Austria.
New Klosneuvirus, Hokovirus and Indivirus genera were also described together with Catovirus, building up a putative virus subfamily Klosneuvirinae with KNV as type genus.
Catovirus has a large genome of 1.53 million base pairs. This is the second largest genome among known Klosneuviruses after KNV. GC content is 26.4 %
Classification of metagenome, made by analyzing 18S rRNA indicate that their hosts are relate to the simple Cercozoa.
Phylogenetic tree topology of Mimiviridae is still under discussion. Some authors like to put Klosneuviruses together with Cafeteria roenbergensis virus and Bodo saltans virus into a tentative subfamily called Aquavirinae. Another proposal is to put these all together with Mimiviruses into a subfamily Megavirinae.