411: Parasite Produces Partial Plant-like Predator

This episode: Giant virus in newly discovered microscopic marine
predator encodes several light-harvesting proteins!


Download Episode (7.8 MB, 11.4 minutes)

Show notes:
Microbe of the episode: Dolphin mastadenovirus A

News item

Takeaways
Giant viruses are distinct in many ways from other viruses, even
aside from their size. One way is the large number and variety of
genes they carry in their genome. Though many of their genes are
unknown in origin and function, many others appear to take the
place of essential reproductive functions, such as translation
and protein synthesis. This allows them to assume more control of
their host's metabolism and control its resources more
optimally.

In this study, the sequence of a giant virus was discovered
seemingly infecting a newly discovered microscopic marine
predator. The eukaryotic cell feeds on smaller microbes such as
bacteria, but strangely, the virus carries genes for several
light-harvesting proteins, possibly converting a heterotrophic
predator into a partial phototroph.

Journal Paper:
Needham DM, Yoshizawa S, Hosaka T, Poirier C, Choi CJ,
Hehenberger E, Irwin NAT, Wilken S, Yung C-M, Bachy C, Kurihara
R, Nakajima Y, Kojima K, Kimura-Someya T, Leonard G, Malmstrom
RR, Mende DR, Olson DK, Sudo Y, Sudek S, Richards TA, DeLong EF,
Keeling PJ, Santoro AE, Shirouzu M, Iwasaki W, Worden AZ. 2019. A
distinct lineage of giant viruses brings a rhodopsin photosystem
to unicellular marine predators. Proc Natl Acad Sci
116:20574–20583.


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