Frequency of morphological phage descriptions in 1995

Arch Virol. 1996;141(2):209-18. doi: 10.1007/BF01718394.

Abstract

At least 4500 bacterial viruses have been examined in the electron microscope since 1959. About 4400 phages (96%) are tailed and only 162 phages (4%) are cubic, filamentous, or pleomorphic. Phages belong to 12 virus families and occur in about 130 bacterial genera. Phages are listed by morphotypes and host genera. Siphoviridae or phages with long, noncontractile tails include about 60% of tailed phages.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Bacteria / classification
  • Bacteria / virology*
  • Bacteriophages / classification*
  • Bacteriophages / ultrastructure*
  • Siphoviridae / classification
  • Siphoviridae / ultrastructure