Similar to other eukaryotic ssDNA viruses, bacilladnaviruses are likely to replicate their genomes by the rolling-circle mechanism, initiated by the virus-encoded endonuclease (Rep). However, the latter protein of bacilladnaviruses displays unique conserved motifs and in phylogenetic trees forms a monophyletic clade separated from other groups of ssDNA viruses. The capsid protein of bacilladnaviruses has the
jelly-roll fold and is most closely related to the corresponding proteins from members of the family Nodaviridae, which have ssRNA genomes.[3][4]
^Kazlauskas, D; Dayaram, A; Kraberger, S; Goldstein, S; Varsani, A; Krupovic, M (2017). "Evolutionary history of ssDNA bacilladnaviruses features horizontal acquisition of the capsid gene from ssRNA nodaviruses". Virology. 504: 114–121.
doi:
10.1016/j.virol.2017.02.001.
PMID28189969.