Recombination, reassortment & accessories – the dynamic and ‘funky’ lifestyle of small DNA viruses

Small DNA viruses have been identified in various ecosystems, infecting bacterial, archaeal, and eukaryotic hosts from the tropics to polar regions. These viruses can have mono- or multi-partite genomes coupled with satellite small circular DNA molecules. The known sequence landscape of these viruses has dramatically changed over the last two decades, primarily due to innovation in molecular and sequencing tools. With more sequence data comes the broader questions on their diversity, evolution and perhaps more critically, the questions around the advantages and disadvantages of mono- or multi-partite genome composition and their “accessories.” In this talk, I will address the evolution of these viruses, their somewhat cosmopolitan lifestyle and attempt to provide some insights on their “accessories.”