Amoebae as battlefields for bacteria, giant viruses, and virophages.

ABSTRACT: When amoebae are simultaneously infected with Acanthamoeba polyphaga Mimivirus (APM) and the strictly intracellular BABL1 bacterium, the latter is always lost after serial subculturing. We showed that the virophage Sputnik 1, by reducing APM fitness, preserved BABL1 growth in acute and chronic models. This capability of a virophage to modulate the virulence of mimiviruses highlights the competition that occurs between them during natural host infection.

SUBMITTER: Slimani M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3624401 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature