Mimivirus
Introduction:
Mimivirus is one of the largest and most complex viruses known.
The virus was
first isolated in 1992 from amoebae growing in a water tower in Bradford.
Both the particle size and the genome size of mimivirus is larger than that of...
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Mimivirus
Introduction:
Mimivirus is one of the largest and most complex viruses known.
The virus was
first isolated in 1992 from amoebae growing in a water tower in Bradford.
Both the particle size and the genome size of mimivirus is larger than that of
some small bacteria.
The 1.
2 Mbp genome, which contains 911 protein coding
genes, provides sufficient information to allow the virus to perform most (but
not quite all) of the functions of living cells.
The complexity and magnitude of
the Mimivirus genome, combined with the large size of the virus, calls into
question some of the established divisions between viruses and single-celled
organisms, as well as raising questions about their evolution.
Examination using cryo-electron
microscopy has shown that the
particle has a capsid with a
diameter of 750 nm, including an
array of 125 nm long closely packed
fibres projecting out from the capsid
surface.
Based on a large number of
open reading frames with collagen
triple helix repeat
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