A virus of the largest size ever recovered from permafrost of 30,000 years ago

ByFedor Stroganov

In 2013 "Pandora virusAlthough the largest size virus called "virus" has been discovered,Aix-Marseilles UniversityofJean-Michel ClaverieWith Mr.Chantal AbergelMr.'s research team took over 30,000 years ago from permafrost in SiberiaDNA virusDiscovered. It has become the largest size ever exceeded Pandora virus, and it has succeeded in revival of virus.

Thirty-thousand-year-old distant relative giant icosahedral DNA viruses with a pandoravirus morphology
http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2014/02/26/1320670111


Ancient "Giant Virus" Revived From Siberian Permafrost
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/03/140303-giant-virus-permafrost-siberia-pithovirus-pandoravirus-science/

French National Center for Scientific ResearchAccording to the paper published by CNRS, the world's largest virus found was "Pithovirus"It is named. The following is a picture of Pithovirus taken with an electron microscope.


The length is about 1.5 microns, 0.5 microns in diameter, 50% larger than Pandora virus, so it can be seen with optical microscope. After reviving the virusAcanthamoebaIt is confirmed that it infects only to humans, and it has been confirmed that it is not infected by humans.


Pandora virus is a giant virus with about 250 to 2500 genes, whereas the number of genes of Pithovirus is about 500, which is small compared to size, whereas the number of genes of virus is usually less than 10. As a result of analyzing this gene, it was found that two-thirds had no similarity with any known gene sequence and one-third was a gene similar to bacteria, so it is a completely different virus from the previous virus It turned out.

Researchers who discovered the virus said, "The discovery that viruses resumed activity 30,000 years ago suggests the possibility of harmful pathogens that had been asleep for tens of thousands of years, Although it is harmless, we should consider the possibility of occurrence when the permafrost such as the North Pole melts due to the discovery of natural resources and the effect of global warming. "

ByAmanda Graham

The research team says that we investigate whether there are latent pathogens and viruses infecting humans in permanent frozen soil carefully so as not to destroy the surrounding environment.