title: Saudi Moumouvirus, the First Group B Mimivirus Isolated from Asia.
abstract: The number of novel giant viruses identified and characterized from the recently proposed orderMegaviraleshas increased in recent years and new questions have been raised regarding viral diversity and evolution. Here, we describe the isolation and characterization of Saudi moumouvirus (SDMV), a new giant virus belonging toMimiviruslineage B, isolated from a sewage sample taken from the King Abdulaziz University hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. SDMV presented 500 nm icosahedral particles with a 1,046,087 bp genome, which is larger than moumouvirus-like genomes which have been described in the past. The SDMV genome was predicted to encode 868 ORFs, ranging in size from 54 to 2,914 amino acids, with a mean size of 349 aa. Furthermore, this genome was predicted to encode 40 new genes (ORFans) without similarity with other sequences (ORFan L850 transcript was detected by qPCR in infected amoeba), in addition to 42 hypothetical proteins (pseudo-ORFs) with less than 100 aa, which matched other sequences in the NCBI nr database. Phylogenetic analysis showed that SDMV clustered together with mimiviruses from lineage B, including moumouvirus-like strains. It is, therefore, the third Mimivirus to be isolated in Asia and the first of group B.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz UniversityJeddah, Saudi Arabia; Unité des Rickettsies, URMITE UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Facultés de Médecine et de Pharmacie, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Aix-Marseille UniversitéMarseille, France.
authors.forename: Leena H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Bajrai
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Vírus, Belo Horizonte, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Felipe L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: de Assis
authors.affiliation: Special Infectious Agents Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, and Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Esam I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Azhar
authors.affiliation: Unité des Rickettsies, URMITE UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Facultés de Médecine et de Pharmacie, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Priscilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jardot
authors.affiliation: Unité des Rickettsies, URMITE UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Facultés de Médecine et de Pharmacie, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Robert
authors.affiliation: Unité des Rickettsies, URMITE UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Facultés de Médecine et de Pharmacie, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Aix-Marseille UniversitéMarseille, France; Laboratório de Vírus, Belo Horizonte, Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisMinas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jônatas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abrahão
authors.affiliation: Unité des Rickettsies, URMITE UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Facultés de Médecine et de Pharmacie, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.affiliation: Unité des Rickettsies, URMITE UMR CNRS 7278 IRD 198 INSERM U1095, Facultés de Médecine et de Pharmacie, IHU Méditerranée Infection, Aix-Marseille Université Marseille, France.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: La Scola
keywords: Saudi Arabia; genome; giant viruses; mimivirus; moumouvirus