TY - JOUR TI - The kinetoplastid-infecting Bodo saltans virus (BsV), a window into the most abundant giant viruses in the sea AU - Deeg, Christoph M AU - Chow, Cheryl-Emiliane T AU - Suttle, Curtis A A2 - Knipe, David M VL - 7 PY - 2018 DA - 2018/03/27 SP - e33014 C1 - eLife 2018;7:e33014 DO - 10.7554/eLife.33014 UR - https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.33014 AB - Giant viruses are ecologically important players in aquatic ecosystems that have challenged concepts of what constitutes a virus. Herein, we present the giant Bodo saltans virus (BsV), the first characterized representative of the most abundant group of giant viruses in ocean metagenomes, and the first isolate of a klosneuvirus, a subgroup of the Mimiviridae proposed from metagenomic data. BsV infects an ecologically important microzooplankton, the kinetoplastid Bodo saltans. Its 1.39 Mb genome encodes 1227 predicted ORFs, including a complex replication machinery. Yet, much of its translational apparatus has been lost, including all tRNAs. Essential genes are invaded by homing endonuclease-encoding self-splicing introns that may defend against competing viruses. Putative anti-host factors show extensive gene duplication via a genomic accordion indicating an ongoing evolutionary arms race and highlighting the rapid evolution and genomic plasticity that has led to genome gigantism and the enigma that is giant viruses. KW - Bodo saltans KW - NCLDV KW - Giant Viruses KW - Bodo saltans virus JF - eLife SN - 2050-084X PB - eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd ER -