Editing Virus classification (section)

=== Viriforms ===
Viriforms are a polyphyletic category of [[endogenous viral element]]s. Sometime in their evolution, they became "domesticated" by their host as a key part of the host's lifecycle. The prototypical example is members of the (also polyphyletic) ''[[Polydnaviriformidae]]'', which are used by wasps to send pieces of immunity-blunting DNA into the prey by packing them into [[virus-like particle|virion-like particles]]. Other members are so-called [[gene transfer agent]]s (GTAs) found among prokaryotes. GTA particles resemble [[Caudoviricetes|tailed phages]], but are smaller and carry mostly random pieces of host DNA. GTAs are produced by the host in times of stress; releasing GTAs kills the host cell, but allows pieces of its genetic material to live on in other bacteria, usually of the same species.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kuhn |first1=JH |last2=Koonin |first2=EV |title=Viriforms-A New Category of Classifiable Virus-Derived Genetic Elements. |journal=Biomolecules |date=3 February 2023 |volume=13 |issue=2 |page=289 |doi=10.3390/biom13020289 |pmid=36830658 |pmc=9953437 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The three known clades of GTAs, ''[[Rhodogtaviriformidae]]'', ''[[Bartogtaviriformidae]]'', and ''[[Brachygtaviriformidae]]'', all arose independently from different parts of the ''[[Caudoviricetes]]'' family tree.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kogay |first1=R |last2=Koppenhöfer |first2=S |last3=Beatty |first3=JT |last4=Kuhn |first4=JH |last5=Lang |first5=AS |last6=Zhaxybayeva |first6=O |title=Formal recognition and classification of gene transfer agents as viriforms. |journal=Virus Evolution |date=2022 |volume=8 |issue=2 |pages=veac100 |doi=10.1093/ve/veac100 |pmid=36381234 |pmc=9662315}}</ref>