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PelV-1 Virus Discovery
Scientists discovered an ocean virus with the longest tail ever found, 19 times the length of the COVID-19 virus
Context: Scientists exploring the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre near Hawaii, at a site called Station ALOHA, have discovered a virus unlike any seen before — PelV-1, short for Pelagodinium Virus 1. What makes this virus extraordinary is its unusually long tail, the longest ever recorded in any known virus.
What Makes PelV-1 Unique?
- Infects Plankton: Specifically targets Pelagodinium, a type of dinoflagellate plankton.
- Unprecedented Tail Length:
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- Capsid (Protein Shell): ~200 nanometres (nm) wide
- Tail Length: 2.3 micrometres (μm) – almost 19 times longer than the tail length of the coronavirus (approx. 0.12 μm).
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- Time-Lapse Imaging Insight: The long tail helps PelV-1 attach to its host, but new viruses emerge tail-less — suggesting the tail is built after the virus exits the host cell.
Why is this Discovery Important?
- Extremely Rare Virus Type: Only two other large DNA viruses are known to infect dinoflagellates, making PelV-1 a rare find.
- Oceanic Ecosystem Insight: Helps scientists better understand nutrient and energy cycles in marine environments. Provides clues about the viral role in algal blooms, some of which are harmful to marine life.
- Genetic Uniqueness: PelV-1’s genome has 467 genes across 459,000 base pairs, making it much larger than typical viruses. Contains light-harvesting and energy-related genes usually found only in living cells. This implies it may utilise sunlight, a highly unusual trait for viruses.
