By: Elester Williams
If you have ever gotten chickenpox you have been exposed to a double stranded DNA virus. But do you know what else can get a virus? Plants! Researchers in 2015 discovered three new algal viruses in Norway. But what is even crazier is that the viruses discovered belong to a family known as Mimiviridae, which contains giant viruses. These double stranded DNA viruses are so large that you can see them with a light microscope. Photosynthetic organisms, like algae , account for over half of the producers (organisms at the base of the food chain) found on our planet. So the fact that they can get infected with microbes is pretty significant. The megaviruses discovered are lytic, which means they break apart the algal cells. Theses types of viruses have been identified, in some cases, as being the primary agent in delivering death to algae all over the world. One of the viruses reported set the record for the largest algal virus found and two of the viruses were able to kill multiple different species, which is very rare! This research challenged the belief that algal viruses are specific to a single species.
From (Johannessen, Bratbak et al. 2015). This figure shows lysed cells infected with the newly discovered megaviruses.
Original Article: Johannessen TV, Bratbak G, Larsen A, Ogata H, Egge ES, Edvardsen B et al (2015). Characterisation of three novel giant viruses reveals huge diversity among viruses infecting Prymnesiales (Haptophyta). Virology 476: 180-188.
No comments:
Post a Comment