A satellite is a subviral agent composed of nucleic acid that depends on the co-infection of a host cell with a helper or master virus for its replication. When a satellite encodes the coat protein in which its nucleic acid is encapsidated it is referred to as a satellite virus. A satellite virus of mamavirus that inhibits the replication of its host has been termed a virophage. However, the usage of this term remains controversial due to the lack of fundamental differences between virophages and classical satellite viruses.
The genomes of satellites range upward from 359 nucleotides in length for Satellite Tobacco Ringspot Virus RNA (STobRV).
Satellite viral particles should not be confused with satellite DNA.
Classification
References
Satellite (biology) Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA