Viruses Ubiquity and Diversity in Atacama Desert Endolithic Communities.
Viruses
; 14(9)2022 09 07.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36146789
ABSTRACT
Viruses are key players in the environment, and recent metagenomic studies have revealed their diversity and genetic complexity. Despite progress in understanding the ecology of viruses in extreme environments, viruses' dynamics and functional roles in dryland ecosystems, which cover about 45% of the Earth's land surfaces, remain largely unexplored. This study characterizes virus sequences in the metagenomes of endolithic (within rock) microbial communities ubiquitously found in hyper-arid deserts. Taxonomic classification and network construction revealed the presence of novel and diverse viruses in communities inhabiting calcite, gypsum, and ignimbrite rocks. Viral genome maps show a high level of protein diversity within and across endolithic communities and the presence of virus-encoded auxiliary metabolic genes. Phage-host relationships were predicted by matching tRNA, CRISPR spacer, and protein sequences in the viral and microbial metagenomes. Primary producers and heterotrophic bacteria were found to be putative hosts to some viruses. Intriguingly, viral diversity was not correlated with microbial diversity across rock substrates.
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Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Vírus
/
Microbiota
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Viruses
Ano de publicação:
2022
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos