Abstract
Virus research has advanced significantly since the discovery of the tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), the characterization of its infection mechanisms and the factors that determine their pathogenicity. However, most viral research has focused on pathogenic viruses to humans, animals and plants, which represent only a small fraction in the virosphere. As a result, the role of most viral genes, and the mechanisms of coevolution between mutualistic viruses, their host and their environment, beyond pathogenicity, remain poorly understood. This review focuses on general aspects of viruses that interact with extremophile organisms, characteristics and examples of mechanisms of adaptation. Finally, this review provides an overview on how knowledge of extremophile viruses sheds light on the application of new tools of relevant use in modern molecular biology, discussing their value in a biotechnological context.
Highlights
Extremophile organisms are found in hostile environments; places where life was thought not to be possible
Depending on the environment that these organisms are isolated from, they can be classified as thermophiles, psychrophiles, acidophiles and alkaliphiles, barophiles and halophiles [1,2] (See [2] for details)
Documenting viral diversity in extremophile hosts, from molecular and taxonomic perspectives, provides vital information about how viruses shaped life on earth and about the viral molecular mechanisms involved in this process, which could constitute a source of novel molecular tools for biotechnological applications
Summary
Extremophile organisms are found in hostile environments; places where life was thought not to be possible. It has been established that extremophiles act as hosts for viral replication and that viruses are responsible for the balance of population dynamics in extreme environments [5]. In this regard, several studies have analyzed prokaryotic (Bacteria and Archaea) and Eukaryotic abundance and diversity along different extreme environments [6,7,8]. Documenting viral diversity in extremophile hosts, from molecular and taxonomic perspectives, provides vital information about how viruses shaped life on earth and about the viral molecular mechanisms involved in this process, which could constitute a source of novel molecular tools for biotechnological applications. This review focuses on what is known about viruses infecting extremophile organisms, and brings particular examples on how research on extremophile viruses sheds light on their potential use as sources for biotechnological tools
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