Abstract
Virus- and bacteriophage-induced mortality can have a significant impact on marine productivity and alter the flux of nutrients in marine microbial food-webs. Viral mediated horizontal gene transfer can also influence host fitness and community composition. However, there are very few studies of marine viral diversity in the Southern Hemisphere, which hampers our ability to fully understand the complex interplay of biotic and abiotic factors that shape microbial communities. We carried out the first genetic study of bacteriophage communities within a dynamic western boundary current (WBC) system, the east Australian current (EAC). Virus DNA sequences were extracted from 63 assembled metagenomes and six metaviromes obtained from various depths at 24 different locations. More than 1700 bacteriophage genomic fragments (>9 kbps) were recovered from the assembled sequences. Bacteriophage diversity displayed distinct depth and regional patterns. There were clear differences in the bacteriophage populations associated with the EAC and Tasman Sea euphotic zones, at both the taxonomic and functional level. In contrast, bathypelagic phages were similar across the two oceanic regions. These data provide the first characterisation of viral diversity across a dynamic western boundary current, which is an emerging model for studying the response of microbial communities to climate change.
Highlights
Viruses are the most abundant entity in the marine environment
Bacteriophage taxonomic diversity was inferred from 64 metagenomic and six metaviromic samples collected along nine degree of latitude (37◦ –28◦ S), across the east Australian current (EAC) and the Tasman Sea during
To better elucidate the possible role of auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) in phage adaptation to the different provinces sampled, we investigated the distribution of the normalized counts of open reading frames for each sample
Summary
Viruses are the most abundant entity in the marine environment. Their concentration can reach as high as 107 mL−1 and they may outnumber bacteria by more two orders of magnitude [1]. The majority of oceanic viruses infect bacteria and are termed bacteriophages [2]. Bacteriophages (and viruses in general) have a considerable influence on the ecology and the biogeochemical cycles of the ocean [1,3]. Viral-induced mortality can influence the flux of nutrients in microbial food-webs through the release of “new” dissolved organic matter (DOM) [4]. It is estimated that marine viruses promote the release of up to 145 gigatons of carbon per year [5] and represent a major route of
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