Marseilleviridae
Marseilleviridae is a family of viruses first named in 2012.[1] The genomes of these viruses are double-stranded DNA. Amoeba are often hosts, but there is evidence that they are found in humans as well.[2][3][4][5] The family contains one genus and four species, two of which are unassigned to a genus.[6][7] It is a member of the nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses clade.
Additional species have since been recognized.[1] The first member of this family recognized has been named Acanthamoeba polyphaga marseillevirus. A second member is Acanthamoeba castellanii lausannevirus. Two additional viruses have been isolated but have yet to be named. Another member of this family has been isolated from blood donors.[4] An isolate from insects—Insectomime virus—has also been reported.[8]
The viruses appear to fall into at least 3 lineages: (1) Marseillevirus and Cannes8virus (2) Insectomime and Tunisvirus and (3) Lausannevirus. A sixth potential member of this family—Melbournevirus—appears to be related to the Marseillevirus/Cannes8virus clade.[9]
A seventh virus—Brazilian Marseillevirus—has been reported.[10] This virus appears to belong to a fourth lineage of virus in this family.
Another putative member of this family is Marseillevirus shanghai. If this virus is confirmed, it would belong to the A lineage.
Viruses in Marseilleviridae have icosahedral geometries. The diameter is around 250 nm. Genomes are circular, around 372kb in length. The genome has 457 open reading frames.[6]
