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Study Reveals Mimivirus Hijacks Host for Viral Protein Production

2/20/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus hijacks its host’s ribosomes by forming a three-protein complex that redirects translation to produce viral proteins.
The study detailing this mechanism was published in Cell on February 17.
Virologists had long suspected this capability.
The mimivirus has a genome five times larger than poxviruses, is large enough to be seen under a light microscope, and commonly infects single-celled protists.

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Story summary

Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus hijacks its host’s ribosomes by forming a three-protein complex that redirects translation to produce viral proteins.
The study detailing this mechanism was published in Cell on February 17.
Virologists had long suspected this capability.
The mimivirus has a genome five times larger than poxviruses, is large enough to be seen under a light microscope, and commonly infects single-celled protists.