Pandoravirus

genus of giant virus possessing a large double-stranded DNA genome

Pandoravirus is a genus of very large viruses. They have the largest genomes of any viral genus.[3] Like the other large viruses Mimivirus, Pithovirus and Megavirus, Pandoravirus infects amoebas. Its genome, with 1.9 to 2.5 megabases of DNA, is twice as large as that of Megavirus.[4] It differs greatly from the other large viruses in appearance and in genome structure.[5]

Pandoravirus
Virus classification
Group:
Group I (dsDNA)
Order:
Family:
Genus:
Pandoravirus
Species

Although the capsid of Pithovirus is 50% larger in size,[6] Pandoravirus has the largest genome of all viruses (2.5 million base pairs).[5]

About 93% of Pandoravirus genes are not known from any other microbes.[7] This led some scientists to suggest the virus belongs to a "fourth domain", aside from Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukaryotes.[7] Viruses as a whole are not considered to be within these three domains, but they have been proposed as one in the past by some biologists.[8]

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References

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  1. "Pandoravirus dulcis". NCBI Taxonomy Browser. 1349409.
  2. "Pandoravirus salinus". NCBI Taxonomy Browser. 1349410.
  3. Yong, Ed (2014). "Giant virus resurrected from 30,000-year-old ice: Nature News & Comment". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2014.14801. S2CID 87146458.
  4. A megabase is a million base pairs of nucleic acids.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Brumfiel, Geoff (18 July 2013). "World's biggest virus may have ancient roots". National Public Radio. Retrieved 18 July 2013.
  6. Sirucek, Stefan (3 March 2014). "Ancient "giant virus" revived from Siberian permafrost". National Geographic.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Dell'Amore, Christine (19 July 2013). "Biggest Virus Yet Found, May Be Fourth Domain of Life?". National Geographic. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  8. Berezow, Alex B. (16 November 2014). "Simmer Down: Viruses Not 'Fourth Domain' of Life | RealClearScience". realclearscience. Retrieved 20 March 2018.