''Pandoraviridae'' is a proposed family of

double-stranded DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of ...

viruses that infect

amoeba An amoeba (; less commonly spelled ameba or amœba; : amoebas (less commonly, amebas) or amoebae (amebae) ), often called an amoeboid, is a type of Cell (biology), cell or unicellular organism with the ability to alter its shape, primarily by ...

e. There is only one genus in this family: ''

Pandoravirus ''Pandoravirus'' is a proposed genus of giant virus, first discovered in 2013. It is the third largest in physical size of any known viral genus, behind Pithovirus and Megaklothovirus. Pandoraviruses have double stranded DNA genomes, with t ...

''. Several species in this genus have been described, including '' Pandoravirus dulcis'', '' Pandoravirus salinus'' and '' Pandoravirus yedoma''.

History

The viruses were discovered in 2013.

Description

The viruses in this family are the second largest known virus (~1 micrometer) in

capsid A capsid is the protein shell of a virus, enclosing its genetic material. It consists of several oligomeric (repeating) structural subunits made of protein called protomers. The observable 3-dimensional morphological subunits, which may or m ...

length, after ''

Pithovirus ''Alphapithovirus'', is a genus of giant virus known from two species, '' Alphapithovirus sibericum'', which infects amoebas, and '' Alphapithovirus massiliense''. It is DNA-based and is a member of the nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses clade ...

'' (1.5 micrometer). ''Pandoravirus'' has the largest viral

genome A genome is all the genetic information of an organism. It consists of nucleotide sequences of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). The nuclear genome includes protein-coding genes and non-coding genes, other functional regions of the genome such as ...

known, containing double-stranded

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

of 1.9 to 2.5 megabase pairs.

Evolution

These viruses appear to be related to the phycodnaviruses.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q16987267 Nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses Unaccepted virus taxa