Giant viruses may try out all sorts of funky lewks.
varied — and sometimes whimsical — shapes
These and other peculiar-looking shapes “clearly tell us that we’ve underestimated how structurally diverse these viruses are,” says Fischer, of the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research in Heidelberg, Germany., scientists collecting genetic material from the environment have uncovered a wide world of giant viruses . These viruses are roughly 10 to 50 times the diameter of viruses that cause the common cold. The genetic data suggest that giant viruses are diverse, widespread and abundant.
Some of the viruslike particles that virologist Matthias Fischer and colleagues identified resemble a turtle , with flaps that appear to protrude from the corners of its purported shell. Fischer says he “has absolutely no idea what these flaps are doing.” It’s possible they are extended openings of some sort.Many of the giant viruslike particles discovered — such as one dubbed “haircut” — have fibers attached to their exteriors.
Still, looking at the structures Fischer’s team identified, microbiologist Frederik Schulz of the Joint Genome Institute in Berkeley, Calif., says he’s “convinced that many of these are actual virus particles.”
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