title: The rapidly expanding universe of giant viruses: Mimivirus, Pandoravirus, Pithovirus and Mollivirus.
abstract: More than a century ago, the term 'virus' was introduced to describe infectious agents that are invisible by light microscopy and capable of passing through sterilizing filters. In addition to their extremely small size, most viruses have minimal genomes and gene contents, and rely almost entirely on host cell-encoded functions to multiply. Unexpectedly, four different families of eukaryotic 'giant viruses' have been discovered over the past 10 years with genome sizes, gene contents and particle dimensions overlapping with that of cellular microbes. Their ongoing analyses are challenging accepted ideas about the diversity, evolution and origin of DNA viruses.
authors.affiliation: Structural and Genomic Information Laboratory, UMR 7256 (IMM FR 3479) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique & Aix-Marseille University, 13288 Marseille, France Chantal.Abergel@igs.cnrs-mrs.fr.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abergel
authors.affiliation: Structural and Genomic Information Laboratory, UMR 7256 (IMM FR 3479) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique & Aix-Marseille University, 13288 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Matthieu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Legendre
authors.affiliation: Structural and Genomic Information Laboratory, UMR 7256 (IMM FR 3479) Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique & Aix-Marseille University, 13288 Marseille, France Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Marseille, La Timone, 13005 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Michel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Claverie
mesh_terms: D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014771:Virion / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018406:Virus Physiological Phenomena
keywords: DNA virus; Mimiviridae; Mollivirus; Pandoraviridae; Pithoviridae; giant virus