CRISPR analysis suggests that small circular single-stranded DNA smacoviruses infect Archaea instead of humans

Smacoviruses are found in the intestinal tract of humans and animals but their precise host remains elusive. Here, the authors identify smacovirus-matching CRISPR spacer sequences in the faecal archaeon Candidatus Methanomassiliicoccus intestinalis, implicating Archaea as a potential host.

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: César Díez-Villaseñor, Francisco Rodriguez-Valera
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2019-01-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-08167-w