Archaeal Viral Genome Database (AVGD) reveals genomic diversity and host interactions across eight habitats (microbiomejournal.biomedcentral.com)

• AVGD contains 3,708 archaeal viral genomes from eight habitats, identified from 64.5 million putative viral genomes.
• 92.93% of viruses belong to Caudoviricetes; phylogenetic divergence correlates with habitat.
• CRISPR spacer matching revealed host ranges and competitive interaction networks among viruses.
• Viruses encode anti-CRISPR proteins and DNA methyltransferases for host immune evasion.

"Researchers at Jiangxi Agricultural University constructed the Archaeal Viral Genome Database (AVGD) containing 3,708 archaeal viral genomes from eight habitats, identified from 64.5 million putative viral genomes via 40 metagenomic datasets. 92.93% belong to Caudoviricetes. Using CRISPR spacer matching, they characterized host ranges and competitive interaction networks. The viruses encode genes for replication, anti-CRISPR proteins, and DNA methyltransferases for host immune evasion. This provides a resource for understanding archaeal virus ecology and host interactions."