2023-04-23 19:00:00
A new family of viruses called “Mirusvirus” (“mirus” meaning “strange” in Latin), distant neighbors of the herpes virus, has been brought to light by the Tara Ocean Foundation. This was revealed by a study published on April 19, 2023 in the scientific journal Nature. The Tara Ocean Foundation collected data between 2009 and 2013 during various expeditions and the genomes collected from the surface of the seas and oceans were sequenced at the Genoscope of the Évry Genopole.
A family of viruses halfway between the herpes virus and the giant viruses
These DNA viruses, halfway between the giant viruses and the herpes virus, were present from the equator to the poles. “These viruses have an amazing evolutionary history, halfway between the herpes virus, which infects half of the world’s human population, and the giant viruses, a completely separate group of viruses that are also abundant in the oceans”specifies the CNRS press release regarding the discovery.
Before adding: “Herpes viruses are widespread in animals (half of the world’s human population is infected with the herpes virus), but completely absent from the rest of life, leaving the question of their evolutionary origin unanswered. ”
The results of this study support the hypothesis that, in the past, the ancestors of herpes viruses might infect single-celled marine organisms. “In 2018, our research team observed an unusual evolutionary signal in the tsunami of sequencing data from Tara Oceans. Monitoring this signal allowed us to discover and then characterize a major group of DNA viruses: the mirusviruses.”continues the CNRS.
This discovery disrupts the understanding of plankton ecology
“Mirusvirus is the ocean complement that infects herpes plankton, which infects humans. So even if you drink the cup, you can drink a few, but there is no risk”explains Tom Delmont, CNRS researcher and specialist in microbial ecology, questioned by franceinfo.
According to the researcher, these viruses would participate in the regulation of plankton in the oceans, organisms essential to the survival of our ecosystems: “They will infect cells. The cell will die, it will release lots of nutrients which will be reused by the rest of the community and allow the community to regenerate and be active.”
“Tara Ocean has transformed our understanding of plankton ecology. This incredible expedition also allows us to answer fundamental questions of evolution. There is still so much to discover and understand regarding mirusviruses. There is no known culture, we have no image of their virus particle, and we have not yet begun to study them anywhere other than in the oceans”enthuses Morgan Gaïa, microbiologist at the National Sequencing Center and first author of the study.
The oceans, an ecosystem still too little known
“The oceans are still an ecosystem that we know rather poorly overallcontinues the expert. And this is all the more so for viruses for which, for decades, the emphasis has been placed rather on the means of combating these viruses. And finally, for 20.30 years, we realize that they are particularly important from this point of view.”
Now the goal of scientists is to cultivate these viruses to learn more regarding ocean biodiversity.
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