|
Megavirus
Megavirus is a viral genus containing a single identified species named ''Megavirus chilensis'', phylogenetically related to Acanthamoeba polyphaga Mimivirus (APMV). In colloquial speech, Megavirus chilensis is more commonly referred to as just “Megavirus”. Until the discovery of pandoraviruses in 2013, it had the largest capsid diameter of all known viruses, as well as the largest and most complex genome among all known viruses. Discovery Megavirus was isolated from a water sample collected in April 2010 off the coast of Chile, near the marine station in Las Cruces, by Jean-Michel Claverie and Chantal Abergel from the Structural & Genomic Information laboratory (IGS, CNRS and Aix-Marseille University). Megavirus was isolated by co-cultivation with a variety of ''Acanthamoeba'' laboratory strains ('' A. polyphaga'', '' A. castellanii'', '' A. griffini'') following a protocol pioneered by Timothy Rowbotham for isolating intracellular parasitic bacteria. Megavirus infects a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mimivirus
''Mimivirus'' is a genus of giant viruses, in the family ''Mimiviridae''. Amoeba serve as their natural hosts. This genus contains a single identified species named ''Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus'' (APMV). It also refers to a group of phylogenetically related large viruses. In colloquial speech, APMV is more commonly referred to as just "mimivirus". Mimivirus, short for "mimicking microbe", is so called to reflect its large size and apparent Gram-staining properties. Mimivirus has a large and complex genome compared with most other viruses. Until 2013, when a larger virus ''Pandoravirus'' was described, it had the largest capsid diameter of all known viruses. History APMV was discovered accidentally in 1992 within the amoeba '' Acanthamoeba polyphaga'', after which it is named, during research into legionellosis by researchers from Marseille and Leeds. The virus was observed in a Gram stain and mistakenly thought to be a Gram-positive bacterium. As a consequence it was nam ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
