Marine oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) are hot spots for microbial-driven matter and energy transformations, but the dynamics of virus–host interactions at these sites are poorly understood. In this study, Roux et al. used a combination of metagenomics and single-cell amplified genome (SAG) sequencing to investigate the viruses that infect the uncultivated sulphur-oxidizing SUP05 bacteria in an OMZ off the coast of western Canada. From a collection of 127 SAGs, they discovered five novel viral genera and estimated that approximately one-third of SUP05 are infected by one virus, although cells infected with several viruses were also detected. By examining 3 years of metagenomic data, they found that SUP05 viruses are endemic to this OMZ and are stable over time. Interestingly, the presence of a virus-encoded dissimilatory sulphite reductase suggests that these viruses probably influence bacterial sulphur metabolism, and thereby contribute to the biogeochemistry of OMZs.
References
Roux, S. et al. Ecology and evolution of viruses infecting uncultivated SUP05 bacteria as revealed by single-cell- and meta-genomics. eLife 3, e03125 (2014)
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Kåhrström, C. Exploring the unexplored. Nat Rev Microbiol 12, 725 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro3371
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrmicro3371