Girus

A girus (most probably a contraction of giant virus) is a very large virus.[1] They are giant nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses (giant NCLDV), having unique genes not found in other life, with separate phylogenic tree for those genes.[2] A notable example is the mimivirus.

The giruses have been controversially proposed as the fourth phylogenic domain of life. (this domain would be separate from the proposed polyphyletic organization of all viruses into a domain for clerical purposes).[2]

References

  1. ^ Ogata, Hiroyuki; Kensuke Toyoda, Yuji Tomaru, Natsuko Nakayama, Yoko Shirai, Jean-Michel Claverie and Keizo Nagasaki (2009). "Remarkable sequence similarity between the dinoflagellate-infecting marine girus and the terrestrial pathogen African swine fever virus". Virology Journal 6 (178). doi:10.1186/1743-422X-6-178. http://www.virologyj.com/content/6/1/178. Retrieved 30 May 2011. 
  2. ^ a b American Scientist, "Giant Viruses", James L. Van Etten, July-August 2011, Volume 99, Number 4

See also