The discovery of giant viruses, with capsids as large as some bacteria, megabase-range
genomes and a variety of traits typically found only in cellular organisms, was one of the …

Viruses are a heterogeneous ensemble of entities, all sharing the need for a suitable host to
replicate. They are extremely diverse, varying in morphology, size, nature, and complexity of …

One quarter of the Northern hemisphere is underlain by permanently frozen ground, referred
to as permafrost. Due to climate warming, irreversibly thawing permafrost is releasing …

Giant viruses are abundant in aquatic environments and ecologically important through the
metabolic reprogramming of their hosts. Less is known about giant viruses from soil even …

Giant viruses continue to invade the world of virology, in gigantic genome sizes and various
particles shapes. Strains discoveries and metagenomic studies make it possible to reveal …

DNA methylation is an important epigenetic mark that contributes to various regulations in all
domains of life. Giant viruses are widespread dsDNA viruses with gene contents …

Giant viruses of amoebae were discovered serendipitously in 2003; they are visible via
optical microscopy, making them bona fide microbes. Their lifestyle, structure, and genomes …

Giant viruses of amoebae are distinct from classical viruses by the giant size of their virions
and genomes. Pandoraviruses are the record holders in size of genomes and number of …

Background Since the discovery of giant viruses infecting amoebae in 2003, many dogmas
of virology have been revised and the search for these viruses has been intensified. Over …

Highlights•Giant virus particles and genomes are unique in the virosphere.•The
morphological diversity of giant viruses particles influences infection cycle.•Challenges must …