Metabolic arsenal of giant viruses: Host hijack or self-use?

ABSTRACT: Viruses generally are defined as lacking the fundamental properties of living organisms in that they do not harbor an energy metabolism system or protein synthesis machinery. However, the discovery of giant viruses of amoeba has fundamentally challenged this view because of their exceptional genome properties, particle sizes and encoding of the enzyme machinery for some steps of protein synthesis. Although giant viruses are not able to replicate autonomously and still require a host for their multiplication, numerous metabolic genes involved in energy production have been recently detected in giant virus genomes from many environments. These findings have further blurred the boundaries that separate viruses and living organisms. Herein, we summarize information concerning genes and protein

SUBMITTER: Brahim Belhaouari D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9270025 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature