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A Marseillevirus isolate from the Brazilian wetlands
Matheus Felipe Dos Reis Rodrigues1, Nidia Esther Colquehuanca Arias1, Talita Bastos Machado1
1Departamento de Microbiologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil.
Archives of Virology
|November 21, 2025
Summary
A new giant virus, Marseillevirus pantanense, was discovered in Brazil's Pantanal. This finding expands our knowledge of giant virus diversity and distribution in unique ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Microbiology
- Ecology
Background:
- Marseilleviruses are a genus of giant viruses known to infect amoebas.
- These viruses have been identified in diverse environmental settings globally.
- Understanding giant virus distribution is crucial for ecological studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a newly isolated strain of Marseillevirus from the Brazilian Pantanal.
- To characterize the morphology, genome, and phylogenetic position of this new virus.
- To contribute to the understanding of giant virus biodiversity in South America.
Main Methods:
- Isolation of the virus from a water sample from the Paraguay River.
- Morphological analysis using transmission and scanning electron microscopy.
- Genomic sequencing and phylogenetic analysis to determine its taxonomic placement.
Main Results:
- A new Marseillevirus strain, Marseillevirus pantanense, was identified.
- The virus possesses icosahedral particles approximately 190 nm in diameter.
- Genomic analysis revealed a 379,900-bp genome with 496 open reading frames, placing it in Marseillevirus lineage A, group I.
Conclusions:
- The discovery of Marseillevirus pantanense highlights the unexplored viral diversity in Brazilian biomes.
- Continued isolation of novel viruses is essential for mapping giant virus abundance and distribution.
- This research expands the known geographic range and genetic diversity within the Marseillevirus genus.
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