1
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Diaz BP, Gallo F, Moore RH, Bidle KD. Virus infection of phytoplankton increases average molar mass and reduces hygroscopicity of aerosolized organic matter. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7361. [PMID: 37147322 PMCID: PMC10163044 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33818-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Viral infection of phytoplankton is a pervasive mechanism of cell death and bloom termination, which leads to the production of dissolved and colloidal organic matter that can be aerosolized into the atmosphere. Earth-observing satellites can track the growth and death of phytoplankton blooms on weekly time scales but the impact of viral infection on the cloud forming potential of associated aerosols is largely unknown. Here, we determine the influence of viral-derived organic matter, purified viruses, and marine hydrogels on the cloud condensation nuclei activity of their aerosolized solutions, compared to organic exudates from healthy phytoplankton. Dissolved organic material derived from exponentially growing and infected cells of well-characterized eukaryotic phytoplankton host-virus systems, including viruses from diatoms, coccolithophores and chlorophytes, was concentrated, desalted, and nebulized to form aerosol particles composed of primarily of organic matter. Aerosols from infected phytoplankton cultures resulted in an increase in critical activation diameter and average molar mass in three out of five combinations evaluated, along with a decrease in organic kappa (hygroscopicity) compared to healthy cultures and seawater controls. The infected samples also displayed evidence of increased surface tension depression at realistic cloud water vapor supersaturations. Amending the samples with xanthan gum to simulate marine hydrogels increased variability in organic kappa and surface tension in aerosols with high organic to salt ratios. Our findings suggest that the pulses of increased dissolved organic matter associated with viral infection in surface waters may increase the molar mass of dissolved organic compounds relative to surface waters occupied by healthy phytoplankton or low phytoplankton biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben P Diaz
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA
| | - Francesca Gallo
- NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, USA
- NASA Postdoctoral Program, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | | | - Kay D Bidle
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, USA.
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2
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Giant Viruses as a Source of Novel Enzymes for Biotechnological Application. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11121453. [PMID: 36558786 PMCID: PMC9787589 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The global demand for industrial enzymes has been increasing in recent years, and the search for new sources of these biological products is intense, especially in microorganisms. Most known viruses have limited genetic machinery and, thus, have been overlooked by the enzyme industry for years. However, a peculiar group of viruses breaks this paradigm. Giant viruses of the phylum Nucleocytoviricota infect protists (i.e., algae and amoebae) and have complex genomes, reaching up to 2.7 Mb in length and encoding hundreds of genes. Different giant viruses have robust metabolic machinery, especially those in the Phycodnaviridae and Mimiviridae families. In this review, we present some peculiarities of giant viruses that infect protists and discuss why they should be seen as an outstanding source of new enzymes. We revisited the genomes of representatives of different groups of giant viruses and put together information about their enzymatic machinery, highlighting several genes to be explored in biotechnology involved in carbohydrate metabolism, DNA replication, and RNA processing, among others. Finally, we present additional evidence based on structural biology using chitinase as a model to reinforce the role of giant viruses as a source of novel enzymes for biotechnological application.
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3
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Hososhima S, Mizutori R, Abe-Yoshizumi R, Rozenberg A, Shigemura S, Pushkarev A, Konno M, Katayama K, Inoue K, Tsunoda SP, Béjà O, Kandori H. Proton-transporting heliorhodopsins from marine giant viruses. eLife 2022; 11:e78416. [PMID: 36065640 PMCID: PMC9448325 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhodopsins convert light into signals and energy in animals and microbes. Heliorhodopsins (HeRs), a recently discovered new rhodopsin family, are widely present in archaea, bacteria, unicellular eukaryotes, and giant viruses, but their function remains unknown. Here, we report that a viral HeR from Emiliania huxleyi virus 202 (V2HeR3) is a light-activated proton transporter. V2HeR3 absorbs blue-green light, and the active intermediate contains the deprotonated retinal Schiff base. Site-directed mutagenesis study revealed that E191 in TM6 constitutes the gate together with the retinal Schiff base. E205 and E215 form a PAG of the Schiff base, and mutations at these positions converted the protein into an outward proton pump. Three environmental viral HeRs from the same group as well as a more distantly related HeR exhibited similar proton-transport activity, indicating that HeR functions might be diverse similarly to type-1 microbial rhodopsins. Some strains of E. huxleyi contain one HeR that is related to the viral HeRs, while its viruses EhV-201 and EhV-202 contain two and three HeRs, respectively. Except for V2HeR3 from EhV-202, none of these proteins exhibit ion transport activity. Thus, when expressed in the E. huxleyi cell membranes, only V2HeR3 has the potential to depolarize the host cells by light, possibly to overcome the host defense mechanisms or to prevent superinfection. The neuronal activity generated by V2HeR3 suggests that it can potentially be used as an optogenetic tool, similarly to type-1 microbial rhodopsins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Hososhima
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
| | - Ritsu Mizutori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
| | - Rei Abe-Yoshizumi
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
| | - Andrey Rozenberg
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of TechnologyHaifaIsrael
| | - Shunta Shigemura
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
| | - Alina Pushkarev
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of TechnologyHaifaIsrael
| | - Masae Konno
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
| | - Kota Katayama
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
| | - Keiichi Inoue
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
| | - Satoshi P Tsunoda
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
| | - Oded Béjà
- Faculty of Biology, Technion-Israel Institute of TechnologyHaifaIsrael
| | - Hideki Kandori
- Department of Life Science and Applied Chemistry, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
- OptoBioTechnology Research Center, Nagoya Institute of TechnologyShowa-kuJapan
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4
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Structural organization, evolution, and distribution of viral pyrimidine dimer-DNA glycosylases. Biophys Rev 2022; 14:923-932. [DOI: 10.1007/s12551-022-00972-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
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5
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Ku C, Sheyn U, Sebé-Pedrós A, Ben-Dor S, Schatz D, Tanay A, Rosenwasser S, Vardi A. A single-cell view on alga-virus interactions reveals sequential transcriptional programs and infection states. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaba4137. [PMID: 32490206 PMCID: PMC7239649 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aba4137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The discovery of giant viruses infecting eukaryotes from diverse ecosystems has revolutionized our understanding of the evolution of viruses and their impact on protist biology, yet knowledge on their replication strategies and transcriptome regulation remains limited. Here, we profile single-cell transcriptomes of the globally distributed microalga Emiliania huxleyi and its specific giant virus during infection. We detected profound heterogeneity in viral transcript levels among individual cells. Clustering single cells based on viral expression profiles enabled reconstruction of the viral transcriptional trajectory. Reordering cells along this path unfolded highly resolved viral genetic programs composed of genes with distinct promoter elements that orchestrate sequential expression. Exploring host transcriptome dynamics across the viral infection states revealed rapid and selective shutdown of protein-encoding nuclear transcripts, while the plastid and mitochondrial transcriptomes persisted into later stages. Single-cell RNA-seq opens a new avenue to unravel the life cycle of giant viruses and their unique hijacking strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Ku
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Uri Sheyn
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Arnau Sebé-Pedrós
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shifra Ben-Dor
- Department of Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Daniella Schatz
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Amos Tanay
- Department of Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Shilo Rosenwasser
- Institute of Plant Sciences and Genetics in Agriculture, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Assaf Vardi
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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6
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Goode AG, Fields DM, Archer SD, Martínez Martínez J. Physiological responses of Oxyrrhis marina to a diet of virally infected Emiliania huxleyi. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6722. [PMID: 31041150 PMCID: PMC6476294 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi forms some of the largest phytoplankton blooms in the ocean. The rapid demise of these blooms has been linked to viral infections. E. huxleyi abundance, distribution, and nutritional status make them an important food source for the heterotrophic protists which are classified as microzooplankton in marine food webs. In this study we investigated the fate of E. huxleyi (CCMP 374) infected with virus strain EhV-86 in a simple predator-prey interaction. The ingestion rates of Oxyrrhis marina were significantly lower (between 26.9 and 50.4%) when fed virus-infected E. huxleyi cells compared to non-infected cells. Despite the lower ingestion rates, O. marina showed significantly higher growth rates (between 30 and 91.3%) when fed infected E. huxleyi cells, suggesting higher nutritional value and/or greater assimilation of infected E. huxleyi cells. No significant differences were found in O. marina cell volumes or fatty acids profiles. These results show that virally infected E. huxleyi support higher growth rates of single celled heterotrophs and in addition to the “viral shunt” hypothesis, viral infections may also divert more carbon to mesozooplankton grazers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew G Goode
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, United States of America.,School of Marine Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME, United States of America
| | - David M Fields
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, United States of America
| | - Stephen D Archer
- Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, United States of America
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7
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Nissimov JI, Vandzura R, Johns CT, Natale F, Haramaty L, Bidle KD. Dynamics of transparent exopolymer particle production and aggregation during viral infection of the coccolithophore, Emiliania huxleyi. Environ Microbiol 2018; 20:2880-2897. [PMID: 29921002 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.14261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Emiliania huxleyi produces calcium carbonate (CaCO3 ) coccoliths and transparent exopolymer particles (TEP), sticky, acidic carbohydrates that facilitate aggregation. E. huxleyi's extensive oceanic blooms are often terminated by coccolithoviruses (EhVs) with the transport of cellular debris and associated particulate organic carbon (POC) to depth being facilitated by TEP-bound 'marine snow' aggregates. The dynamics of TEP production and particle aggregation in response to EhV infection are poorly understood. Using flow cytometry, spectrophotometry and FlowCam visualization of alcian blue (AB)-stained aggregates, we assessed TEP production and the size spectrum of aggregates for E. huxleyi possessing different degrees of calcification and cellular CaCO3 :POC mass ratios, when challenged with two EhVs (EhV207 and EhV99B1). FlowCam imaging also qualitatively assessed the relative amount of AB-stainable TEP (i.e., blue:red ratio of each particle). We show significant increases in TEP during early phase EhV207-infection (∼ 24 h) of calcifying strains and a shift towards large aggregates following EhV99B1-infection. We also observed the formation of large aggregates with low blue:red ratios, suggesting that other exopolymer substances contribute towards aggregation. Our findings show the potential for virus infection and the associated response of their hosts to impact carbon flux dynamics and provide incentive to explore these dynamics in natural populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jozef I Nissimov
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Road New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Rebecca Vandzura
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Road New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Christopher T Johns
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Road New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Frank Natale
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Road New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Liti Haramaty
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Road New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Kay D Bidle
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, 71 Dudley Road New Brunswick, NJ, USA
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8
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Emerging Interaction Patterns in the Emiliania huxleyi-EhV System. Viruses 2017; 9:v9030061. [PMID: 28327527 PMCID: PMC5371816 DOI: 10.3390/v9030061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Viruses are thought to be fundamental in driving microbial diversity in the oceanic planktonic realm. That role and associated emerging infection patterns remain particularly elusive for eukaryotic phytoplankton and their viruses. Here we used a vast number of strains from the model system Emiliania huxleyi/Emiliania huxleyi Virus to quantify parameters such as growth rate (µ), resistance (R), and viral production (Vp) capacities. Algal and viral abundances were monitored by flow cytometry during 72-h incubation experiments. The results pointed out higher viral production capacity in generalist EhV strains, and the virus-host infection network showed a strong co-evolution pattern between E. huxleyi and EhV populations. The existence of a trade-off between resistance and growth capacities was not confirmed.
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9
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Nissimov JI, Pagarete A, Ma F, Cody S, Dunigan DD, Kimmance SA, Allen MJ. Coccolithoviruses: A Review of Cross-Kingdom Genomic Thievery and Metabolic Thuggery. Viruses 2017; 9:v9030052. [PMID: 28335474 PMCID: PMC5371807 DOI: 10.3390/v9030052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 03/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccolithoviruses (Phycodnaviridae) infect and lyse the most ubiquitous and successful coccolithophorid in modern oceans, Emiliania huxleyi. So far, the genomes of 13 of these giant lytic viruses (i.e., Emiliania huxleyi viruses—EhVs) have been sequenced, assembled, and annotated. Here, we performed an in-depth comparison of their genomes to try and contextualize the ecological and evolutionary traits of these viruses. The genomes of these EhVs have from 444 to 548 coding sequences (CDSs). Presence/absence analysis of CDSs identified putative genes with particular ecological significance, namely sialidase, phosphate permease, and sphingolipid biosynthesis. The viruses clustered into distinct clades, based on their DNA polymerase gene as well as full genome comparisons. We discuss the use of such clustering and suggest that a gene-by-gene investigation approach may be more useful when the goal is to reveal differences related to functionally important genes. A multi domain “Best BLAST hit” analysis revealed that 84% of the EhV genes have closer similarities to the domain Eukarya. However, 16% of the EhV CDSs were very similar to bacterial genes, contributing to the idea that a significant portion of the gene flow in the planktonic world inter-crosses the domains of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jozef I Nissimov
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK.
- Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
| | - António Pagarete
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Bergen, 7803, Norway.
| | - Fangrui Ma
- Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA.
| | - Sean Cody
- Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA.
| | - David D Dunigan
- Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA.
| | - Susan A Kimmance
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK.
| | - Michael J Allen
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK.
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10
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Nissimov JI, Napier JA, Allen MJ, Kimmance SA. Intragenus competition between coccolithoviruses: an insight on how a select few can come to dominate many. Environ Microbiol 2015; 18:133-45. [PMID: 25970076 DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Viruses are a major cause of coccolithophore bloom demise in both temperate and sub-temperate oceanic regions. Most infection studies on coccolithoviruses have been conducted with a single virus strain, and the effect of intragenus competition by closely related coccolithoviruses has been ignored. Here we conducted combined infection experiments, infecting Emiliania huxleyi CCMP 2090 with two coccolithoviruses: EhV-86 and EhV-207 both simultaneously and independently. EhV-207 displayed a shorter lytic cycle and increased production potential than EhV-86 and was remarkably superior under competitive conditions. Although the viruses displayed identical adsorption kinetics in the first 2 h post infection, EhV-207 gained a numerical advantage as early as 8 h post infection. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) revealed that when infecting in combination, EhV-207 was not affected by the presence of EhV-86, whereas EhV-86 was quickly out-competed, and a significant reduction in free and cell-associated EhV-86 was seen as early as 2 days after the initial infection. The observation of such clear phenotypic differences between genetically distinct, yet similar, coccolithovirus strains, by flow cytometry and quantitative real-time PCR allowed tentative links to the burgeoning genomic, transcriptomic and metabolic data to be made and the factors driving their selection, in particular to the de novo coccolithovirus-encoded sphingolipid biosynthesis pathway. This work illustrates that, even within a family, not all viruses are created equally, and the potential exists for relatively small genetic changes to infer disproportionately large competitive advantages for one coccolithovirus over another, ultimately leading to a few viruses dominating the many.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jozef I Nissimov
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
| | - Johnathan A Napier
- Department of Biological Chemistry, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Michael J Allen
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
| | - Susan A Kimmance
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
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11
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Pagarete A, Kusonmano K, Petersen K, Kimmance SA, Martínez Martínez J, Wilson WH, Hehemann JH, Allen MJ, Sandaa RA. Dip in the gene pool: metagenomic survey of natural coccolithovirus communities. Virology 2014; 466-467:129-37. [PMID: 24947907 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2014.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Revised: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/18/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite the global oceanic distribution and recognised biogeochemical impact of coccolithoviruses (EhV), their diversity remains poorly understood. Here we employed a metagenomic approach to study the occurrence and progression of natural EhV community genomic variability. Analysis of EhV metagenomes from the early and late stages of an induced bloom led to three main discoveries. First, we observed resilient and specific genomic signatures in the EhV community associated with the Norwegian coast, which reinforce the existence of limitations to the capacity of dispersal and genomic exchange among EhV populations. Second, we identified a hyper-variable region (approximately 21kbp long) in the coccolithovirus genome. Third, we observed a clear trend for EhV relative amino-acid diversity to reduce from early to late stages of the bloom. This study validated two new methodological combinations, and proved very useful in the discovery of new genomic features associated with coccolithovirus natural communities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Kjell Petersen
- Computational Biology Unit, University of Bergen, Norway
| | | | | | - William H Wilson
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth, UK; Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, East Boothbay, ME, USA
| | - Jan-Hendrik Hehemann
- Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
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12
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Permanent draft genomes of four new coccolithoviruses: EhV-18, EhV-145, EhV-156 and EhV-164. Mar Genomics 2014; 15:7-8. [PMID: 24631268 DOI: 10.1016/j.margen.2014.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Revised: 02/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Coccolithoviruses infect the marine coccolithophorid microalga Emiliania huxleyi. Here, we describe the genomes of four new coccolithoviruses isolated from UK coastal locations. Of particular interest, EhV-18 and EhV-145 encode serine palmitoyltransferase function via two distinct genes, whereas all other coccolithoviruses have SPT as a gene fusion of LCB1/LCB2 domains.
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13
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Nissimov JI, Jones M, Napier JA, Munn CB, Kimmance SA, Allen MJ. Functional inferences of environmental coccolithovirus biodiversity. Virol Sin 2013; 28:291-302. [PMID: 24006045 DOI: 10.1007/s12250-013-3362-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The cosmopolitan calcifying alga Emiliania huxleyi is one of the most abundant bloom forming coccolithophore species in the oceans and plays an important role in global biogeochemical cycling. Coccolithoviruses are a major cause of coccolithophore bloom termination and have been studied in laboratory, mesocosm and open ocean studies. However, little is known about the dynamic interactions between the host and its viruses, and less is known about the natural diversity and role of functionally important genes within natural coccolithovirus communities. Here, we investigate the temporal and spatial distribution of coccolithoviruses by the use of molecular fingerprinting techniques PCR, DGGE and genomic sequencing. The natural biodiversity of the virus genes encoding the major capsid protein (MCP) and serine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) were analysed in samples obtained from the Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT), the North Sea and the L4 site in the Western Channel Observatory. We discovered nine new coccolithovirus genotypes across the AMT and L4 site, with the majority of MCP sequences observed at the deep chlorophyll maximum layer of the sampled sites on the transect. We also found four new SPT gene variations in the North Sea and at L4. Their translated fragments and the full protein sequence of SPT from laboratory strains EhV-86 and EhV-99B1 were modelled and revealed that the theoretical fold differs among strains. Variation identified in the structural distance between the two domains of the SPT protein may have an impact on the catalytic capabilities of its active site. In summary, the combined use of 'standard' markers (i.e. MCP), in combination with metabolically relevant markers (i.e. SPT) are useful in the study of the phylogeny and functional biodiversity of coccolithoviruses, and can provide an interesting intracellular insight into the evolution of these viruses and their ability to infect and replicate within their algal hosts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jozef I Nissimov
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH, UK
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14
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Pagarete A, Lanzén A, Puntervoll P, Sandaa RA, Larsen A, Larsen JB, Allen MJ, Bratbak G. Genomic sequence and analysis of EhV-99B1, a new coccolithovirus from the Norwegian fjords. Intervirology 2012; 56:60-6. [PMID: 22986606 DOI: 10.1159/000341611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2012] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Coccolithoviruses are giant dsDNA viruses that infect Emiliania huxleyi, the most ubiquitous marine microalga. Here, we present the genome of the latest coccolithovirus strain to be sequenced, EhV-99B1, and compare it with two other coccolithovirus genomes (EhV-86 and EhV-163). EhV-99B1 shares a pairwise nucleotide identity of 98% with EhV-163 (the two strains were isolated from the same Norwegian fjord but in different years), and just 96.5% with EhV-86 (isolated in the same spring as EhV-99B1 but in the English Channel). We confirmed and extended the list of relevant genomic differences between these EhVs from the Norwegian fjord and EhVs from the English Channel, namely the removal/insertions of: a phosphate permease, an endonuclease, a transposase, and two specific tRNAs. As a whole, this study provided new clues and insights into the diversity and mechanisms driving the evolution of these large oceanic viruses, in particular those processes involving selfish genetic elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Pagarete
- Department of Biology, University of Bergen, NO–5006 Bergen, Norway.
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15
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Nelson OW, Garrity GM. Genome sequences published outside of Standards in Genomic Sciences, January-March 2012. Stand Genomic Sci 2012. [DOI: 10.4056/sigs.1756022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Oranmiyan W. Nelson
- 1Editorial Office, Standards in Genomic Sciences and Department of Microbiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - George M. Garrity
- 1Editorial Office, Standards in Genomic Sciences and Department of Microbiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
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