Pandoravirus

Pandoravirus is a genus of giant viruses belonging to the order Pandoravirales. Discovered in 2013, these viruses are remarkable for their exceptionally large size, with virions measuring up to 1.2 micrometers in length, and their exceptionally large genomes, containing up to 2.5 million base pairs. This makes them significantly larger than most known viruses and comparable in size to some bacteria.

Pandoraviruses have been isolated from both freshwater and marine environments, primarily from amoebas, which serve as their hosts. Their complex genomes encode for a wide array of proteins, many of which are unlike anything previously seen in other viruses, suggesting a unique evolutionary history and potential for novel biological functions. The name "Pandora" refers to the mythological figure Pandora's Box, reflecting the unexpected discovery of such a large and complex virus and the vast array of unknown elements contained within its genome.

The structure of a Pandoravirus particle is also unusual, resembling an amphora or jar, with a thick outer shell and a complex internal structure containing the viral DNA. Their life cycle involves entry into the host amoeba, replication of the viral genome, and the production of new virions, which are then released. The study of Pandoravirus continues to expand our understanding of viral diversity and the boundaries between viruses and cellular life.