Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2008 | Debate
Frag-Virus: a new term to distinguish presumptive viruses known primarily from sequence data
Authors:
Alexander Voevodin, Preston A Marx
Published in:
Virology Journal
|
Issue 1/2008
Login to get access
Excerpt
The wide availability of PCR-based methods for the amplification of nucleic acids homologous to known viral genomes plus automated DNA sequencing have led to explosive growth of a new field, 'proxy' virus isolation. Typically, genomic fragments are amplified and subjected to phylogenetic analysis showing that they are related to, but distinct from, known '
bona fide' viruses. These "new viruses" are now commonly reported in the virological literature and are too numerous to cite here, two studies are given as typical examples [
1,
2]. Although unintentional, these reports may, mislead the readership of scientific journals and the general press. Having no distinction between preliminary genome-based evidence and conclusive proof by biological isolation and characterization of a replication-competent virus blurs the meaning of new virus. …