Characteristics of virophages and giant viruses

Acta Biochim Pol. 2018 Oct 23;65(4):487-496. doi: 10.18388/abp.2018_2631.

Abstract

Five years after being discovered in 2003, some giant viruses were demonstrated to play a role of the hosts for virophages, their parasites, setting out a novel and yet unknown regulatory mechanism of the giant viruses presence in an aqueous. So far, 20 virophages have been registered and 13 of them have been described as a metagenomic material, which indirectly impacts the number of single- and multi-cell organisms, the environment where giant viruses replicate.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Genome, Viral
  • Giant Viruses / classification
  • Giant Viruses / genetics
  • Giant Viruses / physiology*
  • Metagenomics
  • Phylogeny
  • Virophages / classification
  • Virophages / genetics
  • Virophages / physiology*
  • Virus Replication