Bacteriophage Qbeta
| Qubevirus durum | |
|---|---|
| TEM of bacteriophage Qβ attached to the pilus of E. coli and its genome | |
| Virus classification | |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Riboviria |
| Kingdom: | Orthornavirae |
| Phylum: | Lenarviricota |
| Class: | Leviviricetes |
| Order: | Norzivirales |
| Family: | Fiersviridae |
| Genus: | Qubevirus |
| Species: | Qubevirus durum |
| Member viruses | |
| |
Bacteriophage Qbeta (Qubevirus durum), commonly referred to as Qbeta or Qβ, is a species consisting of several strains of positive-strand RNA virus which infects bacteria that have F-pili, most commonly Escherichia coli. Its linear genome is packaged into an icosahedral capsid with a diameter of 28 nm. Bacteriophage Qβ enters its host cell after binding to the side of the F-pilus.