Discovery of mysterious giants and viruses: pandoravirus - Maxisciences

Two French teams have unearthed in Chile and Australia, a new type of giant viruses: pandoravirus. With their genomes that can reach 2,500 genes, they are more complex than some nucleated cells, previously unthinkable.

Researchers could baptize “godzillavirus” they opted for .
These impressive viruses are two in number: the salinus pandoravirus discovered in Chile and pandoravirus dulcis discovered in a pool of fresh water in Australia. Their name comes from both their form and content amphora still poorly known, hence the reference to Pandora’s box.
100 times more genes than AIDS
But it is their size that surprises. Great about one micron, their genome over 1000 genes, one hundred times more than the virus “classic” such as AIDS and flu. These behemoths abound within Acanthamoeba spp.
In pandoravirus salinus, only 6% of proteins are known in other organisms. Better, with 2500 genes, the virus is more complex than some cell nucleus. While other known viruses produce capsid, researchers have found no gene that encodes this protein in pandoravirus. Analysis of proteins in salinus pandoravirus confirms this absence.
15,000 kilometers away
At this point we come to say that there is simply no viruses as differences accumulate. Yet pandoravirus come within the category as recalled a statement CNRS “absence of ribosome, energy production and division”
.This discovery shows that the microscopic world reserve still big surprises. The researchers point out that there must be very many other species pandoravirus since only two known specimens were found to not less than 15,000 kilometers.