Cryptic infection of a giant virus in a unicellular green alga
(2025) In Science 388(6748).- Abstract
Latency is a common strategy in a wide range of viral lineages, but its prevalence in giant viruses remains unknown. In this work, we describe a 617–kilo–base pairs integrated giant viral element in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We resolved the integrated viral genome using long-read sequencing, identified a putative polintovirus-like integrase, and show that viral particles accumulate primarily during the stationary growth phase. A diverse array of viral-encoded selfish genetic elements is expressed during viral activity, including several Fanzor nuclease–encoding transposable elements. In addition, we show that field isolates of Chlamydomonas spp. harbor signatures of endogenous giant viruses related to the C.... (More)
Latency is a common strategy in a wide range of viral lineages, but its prevalence in giant viruses remains unknown. In this work, we describe a 617–kilo–base pairs integrated giant viral element in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We resolved the integrated viral genome using long-read sequencing, identified a putative polintovirus-like integrase, and show that viral particles accumulate primarily during the stationary growth phase. A diverse array of viral-encoded selfish genetic elements is expressed during viral activity, including several Fanzor nuclease–encoding transposable elements. In addition, we show that field isolates of Chlamydomonas spp. harbor signatures of endogenous giant viruses related to the C. reinhardtii virus that exhibit similar infection dynamics, suggesting that giant virus latency is prevalent in natural host communities. Our work describes an unusually large temperate virus of a unicellular eukaryote, substantially expanding the scope of cryptic viral infections in the virosphere.
(Less)
- author
- organization
-
- Biodiversity and Evolution
- Speciation, Adaptation and Coevolution (research group)
- Sensory Biology
- Molecular Ecology and Evolution Lab (research group)
- MEMEG
- Division aquatic ecology
- Evolutionary ecology
- Functional Ecology
- Aquatic Ecology (research group)
- BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate
- publishing date
- 2025-05
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Science
- volume
- 388
- issue
- 6748
- article number
- eads6303
- publisher
- American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105005562065
- pmid:40208960
- ISSN
- 0036-8075
- DOI
- 10.1126/science.ads6303
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 4c325588-57a2-4d1a-8abc-cc8cc6f2d69e
- date added to LUP
- 2025-08-04 09:45:35
- date last changed
- 2025-08-05 03:00:08
@article{4c325588-57a2-4d1a-8abc-cc8cc6f2d69e,
abstract = {{<p>Latency is a common strategy in a wide range of viral lineages, but its prevalence in giant viruses remains unknown. In this work, we describe a 617–kilo–base pairs integrated giant viral element in the model green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. We resolved the integrated viral genome using long-read sequencing, identified a putative polintovirus-like integrase, and show that viral particles accumulate primarily during the stationary growth phase. A diverse array of viral-encoded selfish genetic elements is expressed during viral activity, including several Fanzor nuclease–encoding transposable elements. In addition, we show that field isolates of Chlamydomonas spp. harbor signatures of endogenous giant viruses related to the C. reinhardtii virus that exhibit similar infection dynamics, suggesting that giant virus latency is prevalent in natural host communities. Our work describes an unusually large temperate virus of a unicellular eukaryote, substantially expanding the scope of cryptic viral infections in the virosphere.</p>}},
author = {{Erazo-Garcia, Maria P. and Sheyn, Uri and Barth, Zachary K. and Craig, Rory J. and Wessman, Petronella and Jivaji, Abdeali M. and Ray, W. Keith and Svensson-Coelho, Maria and Cornwallis, Charlie K. and Rengefors, Karin and Brussaard, Corina P.D. and Moniruzzaman, Mohammad and Aylward, Frank O.}},
issn = {{0036-8075}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{6748}},
publisher = {{American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)}},
series = {{Science}},
title = {{Cryptic infection of a giant virus in a unicellular green alga}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.ads6303}},
doi = {{10.1126/science.ads6303}},
volume = {{388}},
year = {{2025}},
}