Dinodnavirus Explained

Dinodnavirus is a genus of viruses that infect dinoflagellates.^[1] This genus belongs to the clade of nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses. The only species in the genus is Heterocapsa circularisquama DNA virus 01.^[2]

Name

The order name, Dinodnavirales, is a combination of Dino, from host dinoflagellate and dna, from its DNA genome. ^[3]

Virology

The virus has an icosahedral capsid ~200 nanometers in diameter.

The genome is a single molecule of double stranded DNA of a ~356-kilobases.

It infects the dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama.

During replication virions emerge from a specific cytoplasm compartment – the 'viroplasm' – which is created by the virus.^[4]

Taxonomy

The sole species was originally thought to belong to the family Phycodnaviridae.

DNA studies have shown that the genus belongs in the family Asfarviridae.^{[5] [6]}

Notes and References

1. Tarutani K, Nagasaki K, Itakura S, Yamaguchi M (2001) Isolation of a virus infecting the novel shellfish-killing dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama. Aquat Microb Ecol 23:103–111
2. Web site: Virus Taxonomy: 2022 Release . International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) . 18 August 2023 . en . March 2023.
3. Web site: Proposal 2009.001a-fF.A.v6.Dinodnavirus.pdf Pdf . International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) . 18 August 2023 . en.
4. Nagasaki K, Tomaru Y, Tarutani K, Katanozaka N, Yamanaka S, Tanabe H, Yamaguchi M (2003) Growth characteristics and intraspecies host specificity of a large virus infecting the dinoflagellate Heterocapsa circularisquama. Appl Environ Microbiol 69:2580–2586
5. Ogata H, Toyoda K, Tomaru Y, Nakayama N, Shirai Y, Claverie JM, Nagasaki K (2009) Remarkable sequence similarity between the dinoflagellate-infecting marine girus and the terrestrial pathogen African swine fever virus. Virol J 6:178
6. 10.3389/fmicb.2021.657471 . free . Comparative Genomics and Environmental Distribution of Large dsDNA Viruses in the Family Asfarviridae . 2021 . Karki . Sangita . Moniruzzaman . Mohammad . Aylward . Frank O. . Frontiers in Microbiology . 12 . 657471 . 33790885 . 8005611 .