Comparative Genomics of Chrysochromulina Ericina Virus and Other Microalga-Infecting Large DNA Viruses Highlights Their Intricate Evolutionary Relationship with the Established Mimiviridae Family
- PMID:28446675
- PMCID: PMC5487555
- DOI: 10.1128/JVI.00230-17
Comparative Genomics of Chrysochromulina Ericina Virus and Other Microalga-Infecting Large DNA Viruses Highlights Their Intricate Evolutionary Relationship with the Established Mimiviridae Family
Abstract
Chrysochromulina ericina virus CeV-01B (CeV) was isolated from Norwegian coastal waters in 1998. Its icosahedral particle is 160 nm in diameter and encloses a 474-kb double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) genome. This virus, although infecting a microalga (the haptophyceaeHaptolina ericina, formerlyChrysochromulina ericina), is phylogenetically related to members of theMimiviridae family, initially established with the acanthamoeba-infecting mimivirus and megavirus as prototypes. This family was later split into two genera (Mimivirus andCafeteriavirus) following the characterization of a virus infecting the heterotrophic stramenopileCafeteria roenbergensis (CroV). CeV, as well as two of its close relatives, which infect the unicellular photosynthetic eukaryotesPhaeocystis globosa (Phaeocystis globosa virus [PgV]) andAureococcus anophagefferens (Aureococcus anophagefferens virus [AaV]), are currently unclassified by the International Committee on Viral Taxonomy (ICTV). The detailed comparative analysis of the CeV genome presented here confirms the phylogenetic affinity of this emerging group of microalga-infecting viruses with theMimiviridae but argues in favor of their classification inside a distinct clade within the family. Although CeV, PgV, and AaV share more common features among them than with the largerMimiviridae, they also exhibit a large complement of unique genes, attesting to their complex evolutionary history. We identified several gene fusion events and cases of convergent evolution involving independent lateral gene acquisitions. Finally, CeV possesses an unusual number of inteins, some of which are closely related despite being inserted in nonhomologous genes. This appears to contradict the paradigm of allele-specific inteins and suggests that theMimiviridae are especially efficient in spreading inteins while enlarging their repertoire of homing genes.IMPORTANCE Although it infects the microalgaChrysochromulina ericina, CeV is more closely related to acanthamoeba-infecting viruses of theMimiviridae family than to any member of thePhycodnaviridae, the ICTV-approved family historically including all alga-infecting large dsDNA viruses. CeV, as well as its relatives that infect the microalgaePhaeocystic globosa (PgV) andAureococcus anophagefferens (AaV), remains officially unclassified and a source of confusion in the literature. Our comparative analysis of the CeV genome in the context of this emerging group of alga-infecting viruses suggests that they belong to a distinct clade within the establishedMimiviridae family. The presence of a large number of unique genes as well as specific gene fusion events, evolutionary convergences, and inteins integrated at unusual locations document the complex evolutionary history of the CeV lineage.
Keywords: Aureococcus anophagefferens virus; Chrysochromulina ericina virus; Haptolina ericina virus; Megamimivirinae; Mesomimivirinae; Mimiviridae; Phaeocystis globosa virus; nucleocytoplasmic virus.
Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.
Figures









Similar articles
- The 474-Kilobase-Pair Complete Genome Sequence of CeV-01B, a Virus Infecting Haptolina (Chrysochromulina) ericina (Prymnesiophyceae).Gallot-Lavallée L, Pagarete A, Legendre M, Santini S, Sandaa RA, Himmelbauer H, Ogata H, Bratbak G, Claverie JM.Gallot-Lavallée L, et al.Genome Announc. 2015 Dec 3;3(6):e01413-15. doi: 10.1128/genomeA.01413-15.Genome Announc. 2015.PMID:26634761Free PMC article.
- Phylogenetic analysis of members of the Phycodnaviridae virus family, using amplified fragments of the major capsid protein gene.Larsen JB, Larsen A, Bratbak G, Sandaa RA.Larsen JB, et al.Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008 May;74(10):3048-57. doi: 10.1128/AEM.02548-07. Epub 2008 Mar 21.Appl Environ Microbiol. 2008.PMID:18359826Free PMC article.
- Isolation and Identification of a Large Green Alga Virus (Chlorella Virus XW01) ofMimiviridae and Its Virophage (Chlorella Virus Virophage SW01) by Using Unicellular Green Algal Cultures.Sheng Y, Wu Z, Xu S, Wang Y.Sheng Y, et al.J Virol. 2022 Apr 13;96(7):e0211421. doi: 10.1128/jvi.02114-21. Epub 2022 Mar 9.J Virol. 2022.PMID:35262372Free PMC article.
- Mimiviridae: An Expanding Family of Highly Diverse Large dsDNA Viruses Infecting a Wide Phylogenetic Range of Aquatic Eukaryotes.Claverie JM, Abergel C.Claverie JM, et al.Viruses. 2018 Sep 18;10(9):506. doi: 10.3390/v10090506.Viruses. 2018.PMID:30231528Free PMC article.Review.
- Mimivirus and its virophage.Claverie JM, Abergel C.Claverie JM, et al.Annu Rev Genet. 2009;43:49-66. doi: 10.1146/annurev-genet-102108-134255.Annu Rev Genet. 2009.PMID:19653859Review.
Cited by
- Homing in on the rare virosphere reveals the native host of giant viruses.Fromm A, Hevroni G, Vincent F, Schatz D, Martinez-Gutierrez CA, Aylward FO, Vardi A.Fromm A, et al.bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2023 Jun 27:2023.06.27.546645. doi: 10.1101/2023.06.27.546645.bioRxiv. 2023.Update in:Nat Microbiol. 2024 Jun;9(6):1619-1629. doi: 10.1038/s41564-024-01669-y.PMID:37425953Free PMC article.Updated.Preprint.
- Novel metagenomics analysis of stony coral tissue loss disease.Heinz JM, Lu J, Huebner LK, Salzberg SL, Sommer M, Rosales SM.Heinz JM, et al.bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2024 Jun 5:2024.01.02.573916. doi: 10.1101/2024.01.02.573916.bioRxiv. 2024.Update in:G3 (Bethesda). 2024 Aug 7;14(8):jkae137. doi: 10.1093/g3journal/jkae137.PMID:38260425Free PMC article.Updated.Preprint.
- Isolation of a widespread giant virus implicated in cryptophyte bloom collapse.Vieira HH, Bulzu PA, Kasalický V, Haber M, Znachor P, Piwosz K, Ghai R.Vieira HH, et al.ISME J. 2024 Jan 8;18(1):wrae029. doi: 10.1093/ismejo/wrae029.ISME J. 2024.PMID:38401169Free PMC article.
- Unraveling gene content variation across eukaryotic giant viruses based on network analyses and host associations.Sun TW, Ku C.Sun TW, et al.Virus Evol. 2021 Sep 16;7(2):veab081. doi: 10.1093/ve/veab081. eCollection 2021.Virus Evol. 2021.PMID:34754514Free PMC article.
- Massive intein content inAnaeramoeba reveals aspects of intein mobility in eukaryotes.Gallot-Lavallée L, Jerlström-Hultqvist J, Zegarra-Vidarte P, Salas-Leiva DE, Stairs CW, Čepička I, Roger AJ, Archibald JM.Gallot-Lavallée L, et al.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023 Dec 5;120(49):e2306381120. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2306381120. Epub 2023 Nov 29.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2023.PMID:38019867Free PMC article.
References
- Yoosuf N, Yutin N, Colson P, Shabalina SA, Pagnier I, Robert C, Azza S, Klose T, Wong J, Rossmann MG, La Scola B, Raoult D, Koonin EV. 2012. Related giant viruses in distant locations and different habitats: Acanthamoeba polyphaga moumouvirus represents a third lineage of the Mimiviridae that is close to the megavirus lineage. Genome Biol Evol 4:1324–1330. doi:10.1093/gbe/evs109. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
Related information
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources