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Many viruses are minuscule, often just tens of nanometers in diameter, but there exists a fascinating category known as “giant viruses,” which can reach sizes up to 1,000 times larger than their smaller relatives. Despite their intimidating designation, giant viruses are not necessarily more hazardous than typical-sized viruses. Recently, a team of researchers in Finland made a significant discovery: Jyvaskylavirus, a giant virus with a diameter of 200 nanometers, which is twice the size of influenza and coronaviruses.
The findings regarding Jyvaskylavirus were published in a study featured in eLife. This novel virus was named after the city of Jyväskylä, where it was uncovered. The team found this new species by combining environmental samples with a culture of the amoeba Acanthamoeba castellanii.
“We elucidated the genome and structure of Jyvaskylavirus, which was found to be related to Marseilleviruses previously isolated from France,” explained Lotta-Riina Sundberg, a co-author of the study from the University of Jyväskylä, in a statement on April 16.
Helium ion microscopy images of Jyvaskylavirus attachment to A. castellanii cells. Credit: eLife
The notable aspect of Jyvaskylavirus is its location, as most known giant viruses have primarily been discovered in Europe and South America. The discovery of a strain in the northern region suggests that giant viruses may inhabit soil and water in areas not previously considered.
The life cycles and transmission mechanisms of giant viruses remain largely enigmatic. However, certain Arctic species have shown the capability to infect specific algae types, which contribute to the accelerated melting of polar ice caps. Furthermore, due to their larger size, giant viruses possess significantly more extensive genomes—up to 2.5 million base pairs, in contrast to the 7,000 to 20,000 base pairs typically found in smaller viruses. While Jyvaskylavirus is substantial, it is still smaller than the largest known virus, Pandoravirus salinas, which measures approximately 500 nanometers.
Researchers anticipate that further investigation into viruses such as Jyvaskylavirus will enhance understanding of these distinctive microorganisms. Sundberg pointed out that although this is Finland’s first documented giant virus, it is unlikely to be the last one found.
“Other new giant viruses were also detected in [our] environmental samples,” she noted, hinting at the potential for more discoveries in the future.
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