Mirusviruses link herpesviruses to giant viruses.

ABSTRACT: DNA viruses have a major influence on the ecology and evolution of cellular organisms^1-4, but their overall diversity and evolutionary trajectories remain elusive⁵. Here we carried out a phylogeny-guided genome-resolved metagenomic survey of the sunlit oceans and discovered plankton-infecting relatives of herpesviruses that form a putative new phylum dubbed Mirusviricota. The virion morphogenesis module of this large monophyletic clade is typical of viruses from the realm Duplodnaviria⁶, with multiple components strongly indicating a common ancestry with animal-infecting Herpesvirales. Yet, a substantial fraction of mirusvirus genes, including hallmark transcription machinery genes missing in herpesviruses, are closely related homologues of giant eukaryotic

SUBMITTER: Gaia M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10132985 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature