Mimivirus

Mimivirus
	Mimivirus with two satellite Sputnik virophages (arrows)
Virus classification
Unrecognized taxon (fix):	Mimivirus
Species[source?]
	Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus; Acanthamoeba polyphaga moumouvirus; Borely moumouvirus; Courdo11 virus; LBA 111 virus; Mamavirus; Mimivirus bombay; Mimivirus gilmour; Mimivirus golden; Moumouvirus australiensis; Samba virus; Saudi moumouvirus; Shan virus; Terra1 virus; Terra2 virus;

Mimivirus is an extra-large virus. It was discovered in 1992.

APMV was found accidentally inside the amoeba Acanthamoeba polyphaga.^[2] The virus was seen in a gram stain and mistakenly thought to be a gram-positive bacterium.

It is either a viral genus with a single species, Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (APMV), or it is a group of phylogenetically-related large viruses (MimiN).^[3]

In speech, APMV is usually referred to as "mimivirus". Until October 2011, when an even larger virus Megavirus chilensis was described, it was the largest (capsid diameter) of all known viruses.^[4]

Mimivirus has a large and complex genome compared with most other viruses. Mimivirus, short for "mimicking microbe", is so called for its large size and Gram-staining properties.^[5]

Mimivirus Media

Illustration of va Mimivirus, one of the greatest known viruses. It is called mimicking microbe reflecting its large size and apparent Gram-staining properties.*(SVG format version of the infographic / illustration of mimivirus, based upon various web-based sources, including giantvirus.org and wikipedia)
Schematic drawing of a virion of genus Mimivirus (cross section and side view) showing filaments ("hairs") and stargate (downside)
A: AFM image of several surface fibers attached to a common central feature.* B: AFM image of two detached surface fibers of Mimivirus.* C: CryoEM image of a Mimivirus after partial digestion of fibrils with Bromelain.*D: AFM image of internal fibers of Mimivirus

References

↑ Duponchel, S. and Fischer, M.G. (2019) "Viva lavidaviruses! Five features of virophages that parasitize giant DNA viruses". PLoS pathogens, 15(3). doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1007592. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
↑ Richard Birtles; TJ Rowbotham; C Storey; TJ Marrie; Didier Raoult (29 Mar 1997). "Chlamydia-like obligate parasite of free-living amoebae". The Lancet. 349 (9056): 925–926. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)62701-8. PMID 9093261. S2CID 5382736.
↑ Ghedin E. & Claverie J. 2005. Mimivirus relatives in the Sargasso sea. Virology 2: 62. [1]
↑ World's biggest virus found in sea off Chile. London: Telegraph UK. 11 October 2011. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/8819432/Worlds-biggest-virus-found-in-sea-off-Chile.html. Retrieved 11 November 2011.
↑ Wessner, D R (2010). "Discovery of the giant mimivirus". Nature Education. 3 (9): 61. Retrieved 2012-01-07.

[1] Duponchel, S. and Fischer, M.G. (2019) "Viva lavidaviruses! Five features of virophages that parasitize giant DNA viruses". PLoS pathogens, 15(3). doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1007592. Material was copied from this source, which is available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

[2] Richard Birtles; TJ Rowbotham; C Storey; TJ Marrie; Didier Raoult (29 Mar 1997). "Chlamydia-like obligate parasite of free-living amoebae". The Lancet. 349 (9056): 925–926. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(05)62701-8. PMID 9093261. S2CID 5382736.

[3] Ghedin E. & Claverie J. 2005. Mimivirus relatives in the Sargasso sea. Virology 2: 62. [1]

[4] World's biggest virus found in sea off Chile. London: Telegraph UK. 11 October 2011. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/8819432/Worlds-biggest-virus-found-in-sea-off-Chile.html. Retrieved 11 November 2011.

[nature-5] Wessner, D R (2010). "Discovery of the giant mimivirus". Nature Education. 3 (9): 61. Retrieved 2012-01-07.

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