Virophage

Taxobox
color = violet
virus_group =
unranked_classis = Subviral agents
unranked_ordo = Satellite
subdivision_ranks = Groups
subdivision = Satellite viruses
Satellite nucleic acidsThe virophage (from 'virus' and Greek φάγειν "phagein" "to eat") is an icosahedral subviral agent that is 50 nanometres in size. [cite journal |author=Bernard La Scola, Christelle Desnues, Isabelle Pagnier, Catherine Robert, Lina Barrassi, Ghislain Fournous, Michèle Merchat, Marie Suzan-Monti, Patrick Forterre, Eugene Koonin and Didier Raoult |title=The virophage as a unique parasite of the giant mimivirus |journal=Nature |volume=454 |issue=7205 |pages= |year=2008 |pmid= |doi=10.1038/nature07218] It is associated with a new strain of "Acanthamoeba polyphaga" mimivirus (APMV). Virophage growth is deleterious to APMV and results in the production of abortive forms and abnormal capsid assembly of APMV.

Of the twenty-one predicted protein-coding genes, three are apparently derived from APMV itself, one is a homologue of an archaeal virus, and the others homologues of proteins in bacteriophages and eukaryotic viruses.

Several other homologues were detected in the Global Ocean Survey environmental data set, suggesting that virophages could be a currently unknown family of viruses. Considering its functional analogy with bacteriophages, this virus is classified as a virophage (ie a virus that infects other viruses).

It is also hypothesized that the virophage could be a vehicle mediating lateral gene transfer between giant viruses such as mimivirua.

ee also

*Virus classification
*Virusoid
*Viroid
*Virus
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*Satellite DNA, Minisatellite, Microsatellite (These should not be confused with Satellite (biology).)

References