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Cited by 34Bacteriophages and microbial interactionsPlant and Fungal Interactions ResearchAdvanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications

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The giant mimivirus 1.2 Mb genome is elegantly organized into a 30-nm diameter helical protein shield

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Villalta, Alejandro, Schmitt, Alain, Estrozi, Leandro F, Quemin, Emmanuelle RJ, Alempic, Jean-Marie, Lartigue, Audrey, Pražák, Vojtěch, Belmudes, Lucid, Vasishtan, Daven, Colmant, Agathe MG, Honoré, Flora A, Couté, Yohann, Grünewald, Kay, Abergel, Chantal·2022·eLife
DOI 10.7554/elife.77607PMC PMC9512402

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Abstract

Mimivirus is the prototype of the Mimiviridae family of giant dsDNA viruses. Little is known about the organization of the 1.2 Mb genome inside the membrane-limited nucleoid filling the ~0.5 µm icosahedral capsids. Cryo-electron microscopy, cryo-electron tomography, and proteomics revealed that it is encased into a ~30-nm diameter helical protein shell surprisingly composed of two GMC-type oxidoreductases, which also form the glycosylated fibrils decorating the capsid. The genome is arranged in 5- or 6-start left-handed super-helices, with each DNA-strand lining the central channel. This luminal channel of the nucleoprotein fiber is wide enough to accommodate oxidative stress proteins and RNA polymerase subunits identified by proteomics. Such elegant supramolecular organization would represent a remarkable evolutionary strategy for packaging and protecting the genome, in a state ready for immediate transcription upon unwinding in the host cytoplasm. The parsimonious use of the same protein in two unrelated substructures of the virion is unexpected for a giant virus with thousand genes at its disposal.

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Metadata

Authors
Villalta, A., Schmitt, A., Estrozi, L. F., Quemin, E. R., Alempic, J.-M., Lartigue, A., Pražák, V., Belmudes, L., Vasishtan, D., Colmant, A. M., Honoré, F. A., Couté, Y., Grünewald, K., & Abergel, C.
Affiliations
  • Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
  • Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV) (DE)
  • Centre for Human Genetics (GB)
  • Inserm (FR)
Corresponding author
Abergel, Chantal
ORCID
Venue
eLife
Publisher
eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd
Published
2022-07-28
Volume
11
ISSN
2050-084X (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.7554/elife.77607
PMC
PMC9512402
OpenAlex
W4288096192
Cited by
34
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 7
FWCI
4.26
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • eLife (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Desy publication database (The Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • European Research Council (832601)
  • Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-16-CE11-0033-01, ANR-10-INBS-08-01, ANR-17-EURE-0003, ANR-10-INBS-04)
  • Wellcome Trust (107806/Z/15/Z)
  • Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (INST 152/772-1|152/774-1|152/775-1|152/776-1)
  • Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (FRA 1200789 HFST-P)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Virology › Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
  • Life Sciences › Immunology and Microbiology › Virology › Plant and Fungal Interactions Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Structural Biology › Advanced Electron Microscopy Techniques and Applications
Keywords
giant viruses, viral genome structure, nucleoid, supercoiled DNA, oxidative stress proteins, RNA polymerase, viral proteome, genome packaging
MeSH terms
Giant Viruses, Capsid, Nucleoproteins, Oxidoreductases, Genome, Viral, Cryoelectron Microscopy, Mimiviridae

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