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. 2008 Jan 23:5:12.
doi: 10.1186/1743-422X-5-12.

Marine mimivirus relatives are probably large algal viruses

Adam Monier  1 , Jens Borggaard Larsen, Ruth-Anne Sandaa, Gunnar Bratbak, Jean-Michel Claverie, Hiroyuki Ogata
Affiliations

Marine mimivirus relatives are probably large algal viruses

Adam Monier et al. Virol J. .

Abstract

Background: Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus is the largest known ds-DNA virus and its 1.2 Mb-genome sequence has revealed many unique features. Mimivirus occupies an independent lineage among eukaryotic viruses and its known hosts include only species from the Acanthamoeba genus. The existence of mimivirus relatives was first suggested by the analysis of the Sargasso Sea metagenomic data.

Results: We now further demonstrate the presence of numerous "mimivirus-like" sequences using a larger marine metagenomic data set. We also show that the DNA polymerase sequences from three algal viruses (CeV01, PpV01, PoV01) infecting different marine algal species (Chrysochromulina ericina, Phaeocystis pouchetii, Pyramimonas orientalis) are very closely related to their homolog in mimivirus.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that the numerous mimivirus-related sequences identified in marine environments are likely to originate from diverse large DNA viruses infecting phytoplankton. Micro-algae thus constitute a new category of potential hosts in which to look for new species of Mimiviridae.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mimivirus-like sequences in the GOS metagenomic data.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Maximum likelihood trees for two NCLDV class I core genes. (A) Homologs for the mimivirus L437 (VV A32-type virion packaging ATPase). (B) Homologs for the mimivirus L206/L207 (VV D5-type ATPase). Nodes with rectangle marks correspond to the sequences from the GOS data. These trees are unrooted.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Maximum likelihood tree of the PolB sequences from NCLDV and the GOS data. Nodes with rectangle marks correspond to the sequences from the GOS data. This tree is rooted by phage sequences.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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