Betasatellite is a genus of satellite nucleic acids in the family Tolecusatellitidae. The genus contains 120 species. They are small, circular, single-stranded DNA molecules that rely on helper viruses like begomoviruses for replication, movement, and encapsidation. These satellites encode a multifunctional protein known as òC1, which is approximately 13.5 kDa in size and plays a crucial role in the suppression of host plant defense responses, contributing to the severity of diseases caused by the associated viruses.
The name Betasatellite is a combination of Beta, because they used to be referred to as DNA-ò to distinguish them from DNA-B of begomoviruses, and satellite, the fact that it is a satellite.
The genus contains the following species: