Closed, Circular Genome Sequence of Aureococcus anophagefferens Virus, a Lytic Virus of a Brown Tide-Forming Alga

Aureococcus anophagefferens strain CCMP1851: draft genome of a second Kratosvirus quantuckense-susceptible host strain for an emerging host-giant virus model system

Here, we report the draft genome of Aureococcus anophagefferens strain CCMP1851, which is susceptible to the virus Kratosvirus quantuckense. CCMP1851 complements an available genome for a virus-resistant strain (CCMP1850) isolated from the same bloom. Future studies can now use this genome to examine genetic hints of virus resistance and susceptibility.

Kratosvirus quantuckense: the history and novelty of an algal bloom disrupting virus and a model for giant virus research

Since the discovery of the first "giant virus," particular attention has been paid toward isolating and culturing these large DNA viruses through Acanthamoeba spp. bait systems. While this method has allowed for the discovery of plenty novel viruses in the Nucleocytoviricota, environmental -omics-based analyses have shown that there is a wealth of diversity among this phylum, particularly in marine datasets. The prevalence of these viruses in metatranscriptomes points toward their ecological importance in nutrient turnover in our oceans and as such, in depth study into non-amoebal Nucleocytoviricota should be considered a focal point in viral ecology. In this review, we report on Kratosvirus quantuckense (née Aureococcus anophagefferens Virus), an algae-infecting virus of the Imitervirales. Current systems for study in the Nucleocytoviricota differ significantly from this virus and its relatives, and a litany of trade-offs within physiology, coding potential, and ecology compared to these other viruses reveal the importance of K. quantuckense. Herein, we review the research that has been performed on this virus as well as its potential as a model system for algal-virus interactions.