Lineage-specific expansions of polinton-like viruses in photosynthetic cryptophytes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Polinton-like viruses (PLVs) are diverse eukaryotic DNA viral elements (14-40 kb) that often undergo significant expansion within protist genomes through repeated insertion events. Emerging evidence indicates they function as antiviral defense systems in protists, reducing the progeny yield of their infecting giant viruses (phylum Nucleocytoviricota) and influencing the population dynamics and evolution of both viruses and their hosts. While many PLVs have been identified within the genomes of sequenced protists, most were recovered from metagenomic data. Even with the large number of PLVs identified from metagenomic data, their host-virus linkages remain unknown owing to the scarcity of ecologically relevant protist genomes. Additionally, the extent of PLV diversificati

SUBMITTER: Bulzu PA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12220804 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature