Abstract
Living organisms can be conveniently classified into three domains, Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya (Woese et al., 1990). The three domains are united by several features that support the common origin of life including the presence of ribosomes, double-stranded DNA genomes, a nearly universal genetic code, physical compartments (i.e., membranes), and the ability to carry out metabolism and oxidation-reduction reactions. In comparison, other types of genetic material and particles (e.g., viruses, plasmids, and other selfish genetic elements) are often excluded from the definition of “life” (for opposing views see Raoult and Forterre, 2008; Forterre, 2011, 2012a). However, they can still influence the evolution of cellular organisms, and in conjunction, establish complex life cycles.
Highlights
Living organisms can be conveniently classified into three domains, Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya (Woese et al, 1990)
Viruses can be classified into DNA or RNA viruses, retroviruses or intermediate forms depending upon the type of replicon present inside the viral particle
We address the impact of viruses on the evolution of cells
Summary
Living organisms can be conveniently classified into three domains, Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya (Woese et al, 1990). RNA viruses are completely absent in Archaea and are rare in Bacteria. We investigated the host preferences for viruses with different replication strategies (Figure 1A) and contrasted virion morphologies (borrowed from ViralZone; Hulo et al, 2011) of virus families infecting different domain groups (Figure 1B).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
