title: Pandoraviruses: amoeba viruses with genomes up to 2.5 Mb reaching that of parasitic eukaryotes.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Structural and Genomic Information Laboratory, UMR 7256 CNRS Aix-Marseille Université, 163 Avenue de Luminy, Case 934, 13288 Marseille cedex 9, France.
authors.forename: Nadège
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Philippe
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Legendre
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Doutre
authors.forename: Yohann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Couté
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Poirot
authors.forename: Magali
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lescot
authors.forename: Defne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arslan
authors.forename: Virginie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Seltzer
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bertaux
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruley
authors.forename: Jérome
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garin
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Claverie
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abergel
mesh_terms: D000656:Amoeba / Q000821:virology*; D001483:Base Sequence; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000821:virology; D016679:Genome, Viral; D056686:Mimiviridae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D040901:Proteomics; D012623:Seawater / Q000821:virology