Metavirus

Metavirus is a genus of viruses in the family Metaviridae. They are retrotransposons that invade a eukaryotic host genome and may only replicate once the virus has infected the host. Metavirus may use several different hosts for transmission, and has been found to be transmissible through ovule and pollen of some plants.

Metavirus contains five families of the Ty3/Gypsy element with either one or two open-reading frames (gag3 and/or pol3); these families are mdg1, mdg3, blastopia, 412, and micropia. There is evidence to support that amino acid deprivation in the elements of the host genome has frequently caused a frameshift towards the Ty3 element. Metavirus corresponds with the Ogre/Tat gene lineage.