Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Viruses of Archaea01:29

Viruses of Archaea

Archaeal viruses play a crucial role in the ecosystems of extremophilic archaea, particularly those belonging to the phyla Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota. By shaping host evolution and facilitating gene transfer, these viruses influence microbial communities and contribute to genetic diversity in extreme environments. The archaea they infect thrive in acidic hot springs and hydrothermal vents characterized by high temperatures and low pH. Archaeal viruses exhibit remarkable structural...
What are Viruses?00:50

What are Viruses?

Overview
Size and Structure of Viral Genomes01:26

Size and Structure of Viral Genomes

Viral genomes exhibit remarkable diversity in size, structure, and composition, influencing their replication strategies and interactions with host cells. These genomes consist of either DNA or RNA and may be linear or circular. Additionally, they can be single-stranded or double-stranded, with each configuration affecting how the virus propagates within a host. RNA viruses, for instance, generally have smaller genomes than DNA viruses, a factor that contributes to their high mutation rates and...
Introduction to Virus01:28

Introduction to Virus

Viruses are unique biological entities that blur the boundary between living and non-living systems. Although they lack cellular structure and metabolic processes, they can exhibit characteristics of life when infecting a host. Their defining feature is a nucleic acid core, composed of either DNA or RNA, encapsulated within a protein coat called a capsid. This simple structure allows them to invade host cells and use their machinery for replication efficiently.Viral Structure and...
Human Virome01:26

Human Virome

The human body harbors a vast and diverse viral community known as the human virome. The virome includes bacteriophages that infect bacteria, and eukaryotic viruses that infect human cells. Transient dietary and environmental viruses also contribute to this dynamic ecosystem. Estimates suggest the human body may contain on the order of 10¹³ viral particles, though abundance varies widely by body site and detection method.Comprehensive characterization of the virome has become possible only with...
Types of Microorganisms01:29

Types of Microorganisms

Microorganisms are a diverse group of microscopic entities broadly categorized into cellular and acellular types based on their structural organization. Cellular microorganisms include bacteria, archaea, fungi, protozoa, and algae, while acellular microorganisms are represented by viruses.Cellular MicroorganismsBacteriaBacteria, tiny prokaryotic organisms, exhibit fascinating shapes such as rods, spheres, and spirals. They adapt to diverse habitats, including soil, water, and human-associated...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Professional Academies: The Duty to Lead.

Microbial biotechnology·2026
Same author

Infection cycles of viruses of the phylum Nucleocytoviricota.

Nature reviews. Microbiology·2026
Same author

The 4.4 Å Capsid Structure of the Giant Melbournevirus Belonging to the <i>Marseilleviridae</i> Family.

Viruses·2026
Same author

Elucidating the protein interaction network of one of the largest icosahedral capsids in the virosphere.

The EMBO journal·2026
Same author

Giant DNA viruses encode a hallmark translation initiation complex of eukaryotic life.

Cell·2026
Same author

Giant DNA viruses encode a hallmark translation initiation complex of eukaryotic life.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 13, 2026

Single Cell Micro-aspiration as an Alternative Strategy to Fluorescence-activated Cell Sorting for Giant Virus Mixture Separation
09:50

Single Cell Micro-aspiration as an Alternative Strategy to Fluorescence-activated Cell Sorting for Giant Virus Mixture Separation

Published on: October 27, 2019

Open questions about giant viruses.

Jean-Michel Claverie1, Chantal Abergel

  • 1Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, IGS UMR 7256, Marseille, France. jean-michel.claverie@univ-amu.fr

Advances in Virus Research
|February 27, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Giant viruses, with large double-stranded DNA genomes and over a thousand proteins, challenge our understanding of virology and cellular evolution. Their discovery blurs the lines between viral and cellular life.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Microbiology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Giant viruses possess double-stranded DNA genomes exceeding one million base pairs.
  • These viruses encode over a thousand proteins and form near-micron-sized icosahedral particles.
  • They infect diverse unicellular eukaryotes in aquatic environments, spanning early-branching phyla.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the implications of giant virus discovery in virology.
  • To investigate the evolutionary origins and host-virus relationships of giant viruses.
  • To examine the potential role of giant viruses in early eukaryotic cell evolution.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of giant virus genomes and proteomes.
  • Phylogenetic studies of giant viruses and their hosts.

More Related Videos

A Rapid Strategy for the Isolation of New Faustoviruses from Environmental Samples Using Vermamoeba vermiformis
09:27

A Rapid Strategy for the Isolation of New Faustoviruses from Environmental Samples Using Vermamoeba vermiformis

Published on: June 4, 2016

Protocols for Investigating the Host-tissue Distribution, Transmission-mode, and Effect on the Host Fitness of a Densovirus in the Cotton Bollworm
11:12

Protocols for Investigating the Host-tissue Distribution, Transmission-mode, and Effect on the Host Fitness of a Densovirus in the Cotton Bollworm

Published on: April 12, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 13, 2026

Single Cell Micro-aspiration as an Alternative Strategy to Fluorescence-activated Cell Sorting for Giant Virus Mixture Separation
09:50

Single Cell Micro-aspiration as an Alternative Strategy to Fluorescence-activated Cell Sorting for Giant Virus Mixture Separation

Published on: October 27, 2019

A Rapid Strategy for the Isolation of New Faustoviruses from Environmental Samples Using Vermamoeba vermiformis
09:27

A Rapid Strategy for the Isolation of New Faustoviruses from Environmental Samples Using Vermamoeba vermiformis

Published on: June 4, 2016

Protocols for Investigating the Host-tissue Distribution, Transmission-mode, and Effect on the Host Fitness of a Densovirus in the Cotton Bollworm
11:12

Protocols for Investigating the Host-tissue Distribution, Transmission-mode, and Effect on the Host Fitness of a Densovirus in the Cotton Bollworm

Published on: April 12, 2017

  • Comparative genomics of double-stranded DNA viruses.

    • Main Results:

    • Giant viruses exhibit a broad phylogenetic distribution of hosts, suggesting ancient origins.
    • The presence of translation apparatus components in giant viruses raises fundamental evolutionary questions.
    • Genome sizes of double-stranded DNA viruses show extreme variation, from 5 kb to 1.25 Mb.

    Conclusions:

    • Giant viruses may have originated before the eukaryotic domain radiation.
    • They might have influenced the partitioning of cellular functions in ancestral cells.
    • The discovery of giant viruses with cellular-like functions challenges the viral-cellular dichotomy.