Multiple Occurrences of Giant Virus Core Genes Acquired by Eukaryotic Genomes: the Visible Part of the Iceberg?

Giant Viruses are a widespread group of viruses, characterized by huge genomes composed of a small subset of ancestral, vertically inherited core genes along with a large body of highly variable genes. In this study, I report the acquisition of 23 core ancestral Giant Virus genes by diverse eukaryotic species including various protists, a moss and a cnidarian. The viral genes are inserted in large scaffolds or chromosomes with intron-rich, eukaryotic-like genomic contexts, refuting the possibility of DNA contaminations. Some of these genes are expressed and in the cryptophyte alga Guillardia theta, a possible non-homologous displacement of the eukaryotic DNA primase by a viral D5 helicase/primase is documented. As core Giant Virus genes represent only a tiny fraction of the total genomic repertoire of these viruses, these results suggest that Giant Viruses represent an underestimated source of new genes and functions for their hosts.