Are chlorella viruses a rich source of ion channel genes?

Abstract

Plaque-forming dsDNA (>330 kb) viruses that infect certain unicellular, eukaryotic chlorella-like green algae contain ∼375 protein-encoding genes. These proteins include a 94 amino acid K + channel protein, called Kcv, as well as two putative ligand-gated ion channels. The viruses also encode other proteins that could be involved in the assembly and/or function of ion channels, including protein kinases and a phosphatase, polyamine biosynthetic enzymes and histamine decarboxylase.