Isolation and characterization of a virus infecting the freshwater algae Chrysochromulina parva
- Department of Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 1C6 (Canada)
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3B2 (Canada)
Water samples from Lake Ontario, Canada were tested for lytic activity against the freshwater haptophyte algae Chrysochromulina parva. A filterable lytic agent was isolated and identified as a virus via transmission electron microscopy and molecular methods. The virus, CpV-BQ1, is icosahedral, ca. 145 nm in diameter, assembled within the cytoplasm, and has a genome size of ca. 485 kb. Sequences obtained through PCR-amplification of DNA polymerase (polB) genes clustered among sequences from the family Phycodnaviridae, whereas major capsid protein (MCP) sequences clustered among sequences from either the Phycodnaviridae or Mimiviridae. Based on quantitative molecular assays, C. parva's abundance in Lake Ontario was relatively stable, yet CpV-BQ1's abundance was variable suggesting complex virus-host dynamics. This study demonstrates that CpV-BQ1 is a member of the proposed order Megavirales with characteristics of both phycodnaviruses and mimiviruses indicating that, in addition to its complex ecological dynamics, it also has a complex evolutionary history. - Highlights: • A virus infecting the algae C. parva was isolated from Lake Ontario. • Virus characteristics demonstrated that this novel virus is an NCLDV. • The virus's polB sequence suggests taxonomic affiliation with the Phycodnaviridae. • The virus's capsid protein sequences also suggest Mimiviridae ancestry. • Surveys of host and virus natural abundances revealed complex host–virus dynamics.
- OSTI ID:
- 22581655
- Journal Information:
- Virology, Journal Name: Virology Vol. 486; ISSN VIRLAX; ISSN 0042-6822
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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