Isolation and Identification of a Large Green Alga Virus ( Chlorella Virus XW01) of Mimiviridae and Its Virophage ( Chlorella Virus Virophage SW01) by Using Unicellular Green Algal Cultures

Abstract

Parasitic virophages are small unicellular eukaryotic dsDNA viruses that rely on the viral factories of coinfecting giant/large dsDNA viruses for propagation. Presently, the identified eukaryotic hosts of isolated virophages were restricted to a free-living amoeba, Acanthamoeba polyphaga , and a widespread marine heterotrophic flagellate, Cafeteria roenbergensis .