Marseillevirus
Marseillevirus is a genus of viruses, in the family Marseilleviridae. There are two species in this genus.[1][2] It is the prototype of a family of nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDV) of eukaryotes (commonly known as Giant Viruses). It was isolated from amoeba.[3]
| Marseillevirus | |
|---|---|
Virus classification  | |
| (unranked): | Virus |
| Realm: | Varidnaviria |
| Kingdom: | Bamfordvirae |
| Phylum: | Nucleocytoviricota |
| Class: | Megaviricetes |
| Order: | Pimascovirales |
| Family: | Marseilleviridae |
| Genus: | Marseillevirus |
Taxonomy
The genus contains the following species:[2]
- Marseillevirus marseillevirus
- Senegalvirus marseillevirus
History
The virus is named after the French town of Marseille.
Since the description of the first virus in this family several others have been discovered. These have been named after the area they were discovered. This family includes Brazilian Marseillevirus, Cannes 8 virus, Insectomime virus, Lausannevirus, Melbournevirus, Port-Miou virus, Senegalvirus, Tunisvirus and Tokyovirus.
Structure
Viruses in Marseillevirus have icosahedral geometries. The diameter is around 250 nm. The genome has 457 open reading frames and is circular.[1] The genome has a length of 368 kb,[1] with a G+C content of 44.73%. It encodes a minimum of 49 proteins.
The genome of the virus includes typical NCLDV core genes and genes apparently obtained from eukaryotic hosts and their parasites or symbionts, both bacterial and viral, through probably horizontal gene transfer mechanism.
| Genus | Structure | Symmetry | Capsid | Genomic arrangement | Genomic segmentation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marseillevirus | Icosahedral | Circular |
Life cycle
Viral replication is nucleo-cytoplasmic. DNA-templated transcription is the method of transcription. Amoeba serve as the natural host.[1]
| Genus | Host details | Tissue tropism | Entry details | Release details | Replication site | Assembly site | Transmission |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marseillevirus | Amoeba | None | Fusion | Lysis | Cytoplasm | Cytoplasm | Diffusion in Water |
References
- "Viral Zone". ExPASy. Retrieved 12 August 2015.
- "Virus Taxonomy: 2020 Release". International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV). March 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
- Boyer, Mickaël; Yutin, Natalya; Pagnier, Isabelle; Barrassi, Lina; Fournous, Ghislain; Espinosa, Leon; Robert, Catherine; Azza, Saïd; Sun, Siyang; Rossmann, Michael G.; Suzan-Monti, Marie; La Scola, Bernard; Koonin, Eugene V.; Raoult, Didier (2009). "Giant Marseillevirus highlights the role of amoebae as a melting pot in emergence of chimeric microorganisms". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 106 (51): 21848–53. Bibcode:2009PNAS..10621848B. doi:10.1073/pnas.0911354106. PMC 2799887. PMID 20007369.