Genome editing in archaeal viruses and endogenous viral protein purification

Archaea-infecting viruses are morphologically and genomically among the most diverse entities. Unfortunately, they are also fairly understudied due to a lack of efficient genetic tools. Here, we present a detailed protocol for the CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing of the virus SIRV2 infecting the genus Sulfolobus, which could easily be adapted to other archaeal viruses. This protocol also includes the procedure for endogenous viral protein purification and identification, allowing for assessing the molecular mechanisms behind virus life cycle and virus-host interactions. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Mayo-Muñoz et al. (2018) and Bhoobalan-Chitty et al. (2019).