Pandoraviruses: Amoeba Viruses with Genomes Up to 2.5 Mb Reaching That of Parasitic Eukaryotes
Pandoraviruses: Amoeba Viruses with Genomes Up to 2.5 Mb Reaching That of Parasitic Eukaryotes
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DOI：
10.1126/science.1239181
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发表时间：
2013-07-19
期刊：
影响因子：
56.9
通讯作者：
Abergel, Chantal
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Philippe, Nadege;Legendre, Matthieu;Abergel, Chantal
十年前，米米病毒（一种感染棘阿米巴的病毒）的发现引发了对病毒世界上限的重新评估，无论是在颗粒大小（>0.7微米）还是基因组复杂性（>1000个基因）方面，这些都是寄生细菌的典型特征。通过对世界各地各种水生环境及其相关沉积物进行采样，对这些巨型病毒（巨大病毒科）的多样性进行了评估。我们报道了两种巨型病毒的分离情况，一种来自智利中部海岸，另一种来自墨尔本（澳大利亚）附近的一个淡水池塘，它们在形态或基因组上与任何先前定义的病毒科都没有相似之处。它们微米级大小的卵形颗粒分别含有至少2.5兆碱基和1.9兆碱基的DNA基因组。这些病毒是拟议的“潘多拉病毒”属的首批成员，这个名称反映了它们与先前描述的微生物缺乏相似性以及未来研究可能带来的惊喜。
Ten years ago, the discovery of Mimivirus, a virus infecting Acanthamoeba, initiated a reappraisal of the upper limits of the viral world, both in terms of particle size (>0.7 micrometers) and genome complexity (>1000 genes), dimensions typical of parasitic bacteria. The diversity of these giant viruses (the Megaviridae) was assessed by sampling a variety of aquatic environments and their associated sediments worldwide. We report the isolation of two giant viruses, one off the coast of central Chile, the other from a freshwater pond near Melbourne (Australia), without morphological or genomic resemblance to any previously defined virus families. Their micrometer-sized ovoid particles contain DNA genomes of at least 2.5 and 1.9 megabases, respectively. These viruses are the first members of the proposed "Pandoravirus" genus, a term reflecting their lack of similarity with previously described microorganisms and the surprises expected from their future study.