Infection cycles of viruses of the phylum Nucleocytoviricota.

Infection cycles of Nucleocytoviricota viruses share core features such as membrane fusion entry, viral factory formation, genome replication, and virion morphogenesis, despite lineage-specific differences.

• Why it matters: Understanding the conserved and unique aspects of these viruses' infection cycles is crucial for elucidating their evolution and interactions with diverse eukaryotic hosts, from protists to humans.
• What they did: The authors synthesized data from model viruses across major orders, comparing molecular mechanisms of infection stages, including membrane fusion, phase separation-driven factory formation, and virion assembly, based on extensive literature.
• The result: This review highlights shared traits and lineage-specific innovations in Nucleocytoviricota infection cycles, providing a framework to guide future cell biology research on large double-stranded DNA viruses.