The GenBank database currently contains sequence data for 33 N4-like viruses, with only one, Escherichia phage N4, being formally recognized by the ICTV. The genus N4likevirus is uniquely characterized by that fact that its members possess an extremely large, virion-associated RNA polymerase. Using a variety of proteomic, genomic and phylogenetic tools, we have demonstrated that the N4-like phages are not monophyletic and that N4 is actually a genomic orphan. We propose to create four new genera: "G7cvirus" (consisting of phages G7C, IME11, KBNP21, vB_EcoP_PhAPEC5, vB_EcoP_PhAPEC7, Bp4, EC1-UPM and pSb-1), "Lit1virus" (LIT1, PA26 and vB_PaeP_C2-10_Ab09), "Sp58virus" (SP058 and SP076), and "Dss3virus" (DSS3φ2 and EE36φ1). We propose that coliphage N4, the members of "G7cvirus", Erwinia phage Ea9-2, and Achromobacter phage JWAlpha should be considered members of the same subfamily, which we tentatively call the "Enquartavirinae".

The complete genome of an Erwinia amylovora bacteriophage, vB_EamM_Ea35-70 (Ea35-70), is 271,084 bp, encodes 318 putative proteins, and contains one tRNA. Comparative analysis with other Myoviridae genomes suggests that Ea35-70 is related to the Phikzlikevirus genus within the family Myoviridae, since 26% of Ea35-70 proteins share homology to proteins in Pseudomonas phage φKZ.

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Bovine adenoviruses (BAVs) are important pathogens causing significant economic losses to the cattle industry. We have been interested in the differences among serotypes of these viruses, particularly in their pathogenicity and host range. As part of our efforts to better understand these viruses, we have determined the nucleotide sequences for serotype 3 (BAV3) at map coordinates beween 11.7 and 23.7% and for serotype 2 (BAV2) between 13.1 and 24.0%. Analyses of these sequences revealed large open reading frames (ORFs) encoded within the leftward-reading strand of the viral DNA. The coding capacity of the ORF in BAV3 is 1,167 amino acid residues and 1,138 in BAV2. A search in the GenEMBL protein sequence databank for homology to the predicted polypeptide products of these ORFs established their identity as that for the adenovirus (Ad) DNA polymerase (DNA pol). The deduced polypeptide sequences were aligned with each other and with other known Ad DNA pols to reveal regions of homology and similarity. The comparison at the amino acid sequence level not only showed that the bovine Ad DNA pols from the two serotypes are quite distinct from each other, but also revealed that Ad DNA pols contain multiple domains that are highly conserved among human, canine and bovine Ads. These conserved domains are likely important for the multiple functions attributed to Ad DNA pol, which include catalysis of its own initiation complex, elongation of nascent DNA strand, as well as correction of DNA replication errors.