Mimiviruses

Mimiviruses are large, non-enveloped viruses that infect a wide range of eukaryotic hosts, including protists, plants, and animals. They were first discovered in 1992 and are notable for their enormous size, with genomes ranging from 1.2 to 2.2 megabases, making them larger than many bacterial genomes. Mimiviruses are classified as nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (NCLDVs) due to their large genomes and the fact that they replicate in the nucleus of their host cells.

The largest known mimivirus, Mimivirus, was discovered in 2003 and has a genome of approximately 1.2 megabases. It is named after its large size and the fact that it was discovered in a marine plankton sample. Mimiviruses are known for their complex genomes, which encode a large number of proteins involved in viral replication and host cell manipulation.

Mimiviruses have a unique replication strategy. They replicate in the nucleus of their host cells and use the host's cellular machinery to produce viral proteins and genomic RNA. The viral genome is then packaged into new viral particles, which are released from the host cell to infect new cells.

Mimiviruses are of interest to scientists due to their large genomes and complex replication strategies. They provide insights into the evolution of large DNA viruses and the mechanisms by which viruses manipulate their hosts. However, mimiviruses are also of concern due to their potential to infect a wide range of hosts and their ability to cause disease in some cases. Further research is needed to fully understand the biology and potential impacts of mimiviruses.