Muromegalovirus

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Muromegalovirus is a group of herpesviruses that mainly infect rodents. It belongs to the herpesvirus family and has three species, including MuHV-1 and MuHV-2 (which were once called mouse cytomegalovirus and rat cytomegalovirus).

What it looks like and its genome
- These viruses are enveloped and roughly spherical, about 150–200 nanometers in size.
- Their genome is a single, linear piece of double-stranded DNA about 230,000 bases long.

How they reproduce
- They replicate in the cell’s nucleus and can remain latent (inactive) for a time.
- Entry into cells happens when viral surface proteins bind to host receptors, triggering endocytosis (the cell taking in the virus).
- They use the host cell’s machinery to transcribe their genes and produce viral RNA, with some splicing variations.
- New viruses leave the cell by moving out of the nucleus and budding off.

Where they live and the diseases they cause
- Rodents are their natural hosts.
- Infection can affect immune cells like peritoneal macrophages and dendritic cells, as well as liver cells, leading to damage in the spleen and liver.

Summary
Muromegalovirus is a rodent-infecting genus of herpesviruses with three species. They are enveloped, double-stranded DNA viruses that replicate in the nucleus and can establish latent infection, entering cells via endocytosis and exiting by budding.