title: Zamilon, a novel virophage with Mimiviridae host specificity.
abstract: Virophages, which are potentially important ecological regulators, have been discovered in association with members of the order Megavirales. Sputnik virophages target the Mimiviridae, Mavirus was identified with the Cafeteria roenbergensis virus, and virophage genomes reconstructed by metagenomic analyses may be associated with the Phycodnaviridae. Despite the fact that the Sputnik virophages were isolated with viruses belonging to group A of the Mimiviridae, they can grow in amoebae infected by Mimiviridae from groups A, B or C. In this study we describe Zamilon, the first virophage isolated with a member of group C of the Mimiviridae family. By co-culturing amoebae with purified Zamilon, we found that the virophage is able to multiply with members of groups B and C of the Mimiviridae family but not with viruses from group A. Zamilon has a 17,276 bp DNA genome that potentially encodes 20 genes. Most of these genes are closely related to genes from the Sputnik virophage, yet two are more related to Megavirus chiliensis genes, a group B Mimiviridae, and one to Moumouvirus monve transpoviron.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UMR CNRS-IRD 7278, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Morgan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaia
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UMR CNRS-IRD 7278, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Benamar
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UMR CNRS-IRD 7278, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Mondher
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boughalmi
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UMR CNRS-IRD 7278, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pagnier
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UMR CNRS-IRD 7278, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Croce
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UMR CNRS-IRD 7278, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France; Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Colson
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UMR CNRS-IRD 7278, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France; Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.affiliation: Unité de Recherche sur les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes, UMR CNRS-IRD 7278, IFR48, Faculté de Médecine, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France; Pôle des Maladies Infectieuses, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: La Scola
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D058507:Host Specificity; D056686:Mimiviridae; D012526:Satellite Viruses / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology
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