Pandoraviridae

Pandoraviridae
Virus classification
Group: Group I (dsDNA)
Order: Unassigned
Family: Pandoraviridae
Genus: Pandoravirus
Species

Pandoraviridae is a family of double-stranded DNA viruses that infect amoebae. There is only one genus in this family: Pandoravirus. Within this genus, two species have been described to date: Pandoravirus dulcis and Pandoravirus salinus.[1][2]

History

The viruses were discovered in 2013.[1][2]

Description

The viruses in this family are the second largest known virus (~1 micrometer) in capsid length, after Pithovirus (1.5 micrometer).[3] Pandoravirus has the largest viral genome known, containing double-stranded DNA of 1.9 to 2.5 megabase pairs.[4][1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Yong, Ed (18 July 2013). "Giant viruses open Pandora's box". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2013.13410.
  2. 1 2 Nadège Philippe; Matthieu Legendre; Gabriel Doutre; et al. (July 2013). "Pandoraviruses: Amoeba Viruses with Genomes Up to 2.5 Mb Reaching That of Parasitic Eukaryotes". Science. 341 (6143): 281–6. Bibcode:2013Sci...341..281P. doi:10.1126/science.1239181. PMID 23869018.
  3. Sirucek, Stefan (3 March 2014). "Ancient "Giant Virus" Revived From Siberian Permafrost". National Geographic.
  4. Brumfiel, Geoff (18 July 2013). "World's Biggest Virus May Have Ancient Roots". National Public Radio. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
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