Abstract 2366 Structural and proteomic analysis of the virion of Tupanvirus deep ocean, a giant virus that infects amoeba

The discovery of two similar giant viruses that encode almost all the necessary factors for protein translation in their genomes has blurred one of the bright lines between viruses and cellular life, the ability to make proteins. One of the viruses, Tupanvirus deep ocean (TVDO) encodes over 1400 genes, including tRNAs, aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, and protein synthesis factors. We grew TVDO in Acanthamoeba castellanii, an amoeba host, and purified the virions. Scanning and negative-stain transmission electron microscopy revealed a 450-500 nm icosahedral head with a cylindrical tail of variable length (500-1500 nm).