A virus which lyses the marine nanoflagellate Micromonas pusilla

Abstract

Observations of virus-like particles (VLPs) are now commonplace in a wide range of cell types. In most cases these observations represent incidental findings reported during a general ultrastructural investigation. Frequently in such instances it is impossible to establish the viral identity of the observed particles because the sample material containing the inclusions is no longer available and/or the data provided are inadequate. In particular, the number of established viral infections of algae^1,2 or protozoa³ is small, and those amenable to continued study even smaller. We now report the isolation and ultrastructural identification of a lytic virus infecting the naked, marine phytoflagellate Micromonas pusilla (Butcher) Manton et Parke and describe its unusual mode of entry into the host.