| mimivirus shows dramatic genome reduction after intraamoebal culture. | most phagocytic protist viruses have large particles and genomes as well as many laterally acquired genes that may be associated with a sympatric intracellular life (a community-associated lifestyle with viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotes) and the presence of virophages. by subculturing mimivirus 150 times in a germ-free amoebal host, we observed the emergence of a bald form of the virus that lacked surface fibers and replicated in a morphologically different type of viral factory. when studying ... | 2011 | 21646533 |
| structural studies of the sputnik virophage. | the virophage sputnik is a satellite virus of the giant mimivirus and is the only satellite virus reported to date whose propagation adversely affects its host virus' production. genome sequence analysis showed that sputnik has genes related to viruses infecting all three domains of life. here, we report structural studies of sputnik, which show that it is about 740 a in diameter, has a t=27 icosahedral capsid, and has a lipid membrane inside the protein shell. structural analyses suggest that t ... | 2010 | 19889775 |
| virophage control of antarctic algal host-virus dynamics. | viruses are abundant ubiquitous members of microbial communities and in the marine environment affect population structure and nutrient cycling by infecting and lysing primary producers. antarctic lakes are microbially dominated ecosystems supporting truncated food webs in which viruses exert a major influence on the microbial loop. here we report the discovery of a virophage (relative of the recently described sputnik virophage) that preys on phycodnaviruses that infect prasinophytes (phototrop ... | 2011 | 21444812 |