Hidden diversity of soil giant viruses

• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07335-2
• Publication Date: 2018-11-13T16:34:45Z
• Authors: Frederik Schulz; Lauren Alteio; Danielle Goudeau; Elizabeth M. Ryan; Feiqiao B. Yu; Rex R. Malmstrom; Jeffrey Blanchard; Tanja Woyke
• Keywords: Giant Virus; Human virome

Known giant virus diversity is currently skewed towards viruses isolated from aquatic environments and cultivated in the laboratory. Here, we employ cultivation-independent metagenomics mini-metagenomics on soils Harvard Forest, leading to discovery of 16 novel viruses, chiefly recovered by mini-metagenomics. The candidate greatly expand phylogenetic known either represented lineages or are affiliated with klosneuviruses, Cafeteria roenbergensis tupanviruses. One assembled genome a size 2.4 Mb represents largest viral Mimiviridae, others encode up 80% orphan genes. In addition, find more than 240 major capsid proteins encoded unbinned metagenome fragments, further indicating that underexplored soil ecosystems. fact most these evaded detection bulk metagenomes suggests could be valuable approach unearth giants.