Genomics and evolutionary analysis of infecting viruses demarcate criteria for defining species of giant viruses.

Chloroviruses exhibit a close relationship with their hosts with the phenotypic aspect of their ability to form lytic plaques having primarily guided the taxonomy. However, with the isolation of viruses that are only able to complete their replication cycle in one strain of , systematic challenges emerged. In this study, we described the genomic features of 53 new chlorovirus isolates and used them to elucidate part of the evolutionary history and taxonomy of this clade.

Efficient assays to quantify the life history traits of algal viruses.

Viruses play a crucial role in microbial ecosystems by liberating nutrients and regulating the growth of their hosts. These effects are governed by viral life history traits, i.e.

Viral Chemotaxis of Paramecium Bursaria Altered by Algal Endosymbionts.

Chemotaxis is widespread across many taxa and often aids resource acquisition or predator avoidance. Species interactions can modify the degree of movement facilitated by chemotaxis. In this study, we investigated the influence of symbionts on Paramecium bursaria's chemotactic behavior toward chloroviruses.

Viral DNA Accumulation Regulates Replication Efficiency of OSy-NE5 in Two Closely Related Strains.

Many chloroviruses replicate in algal strains that are ex-endosymbionts isolated from the protozoan including the NC64A and Syngen 2-3 strains. We noticed that indigenous water samples produced a higher number of plaque-forming viruses on Syngen 2-3 lawns than on NC64A lawns. These observed differences led to the discovery of viruses that replicate exclusively in Syngen 2-3 cells, named Only Syngen (OSy) viruses.

Lessons from Chloroviruses: the Complex and Diverse Roles of Viruses in Food Webs.

Viruses can have large effects on the ecological communities in which they occur. Much of this impact comes from the mortality of host cells, which simultaneously alters microbial community composition and causes the release of matter that can be used by other organisms. However, recent studies indicate that viruses may be even more deeply integrated into the functioning of ecological communities than their effect on nutrient cycling suggests.