Analysis of virus genomes from glacial environments reveals novel virus groups with unusual host interactions
Microbial communities in glacial ecosystems are diverse, active, and subjected to strong viral pressures and infection rates. In this study we analyse putative virus genomes assembled from three dsDNA viromes from cryoconite hole ecosystems of Svalbard and the Greenland Ice Sheet to assess the poten...
Published in: | Frontiers in Microbiology |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2015
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/1983/c4ff1565-2bf7-4e69-86c3-6d9f82200863 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/c4ff1565-2bf7-4e69-86c3-6d9f82200863 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00656 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/62893462/Bellas_Frontiers.pdf |
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ftubristolcris:oai:research-information.bris.ac.uk:publications/c4ff1565-2bf7-4e69-86c3-6d9f82200863 2024-05-19T07:41:27+00:00 Analysis of virus genomes from glacial environments reveals novel virus groups with unusual host interactions Bellas, Christopher M Anesio, Alexandre M B Barker, Gary L A 2015-07-03 application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/1983/c4ff1565-2bf7-4e69-86c3-6d9f82200863 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/c4ff1565-2bf7-4e69-86c3-6d9f82200863 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00656 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/62893462/Bellas_Frontiers.pdf eng eng https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/c4ff1565-2bf7-4e69-86c3-6d9f82200863 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Bellas , C M , Anesio , A M B & Barker , G L A 2015 , ' Analysis of virus genomes from glacial environments reveals novel virus groups with unusual host interactions ' , Frontiers in Microbiology , vol. 6 , 656 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00656 virus ecology cryosphere virus genomes cryoconite lysogeny phage plasmid CRISPR article 2015 ftubristolcris https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00656 2024-04-23T23:50:28Z Microbial communities in glacial ecosystems are diverse, active, and subjected to strong viral pressures and infection rates. In this study we analyse putative virus genomes assembled from three dsDNA viromes from cryoconite hole ecosystems of Svalbard and the Greenland Ice Sheet to assess the potential hosts and functional role viruses play in these habitats. We assembled 208 million reads from the virus-size fraction and developed a procedure to select genuine virus scaffolds from cellular contamination. Our curated virus library contained 546 scaffolds up to 230 Kb in length, 54 of which were circular virus consensus genomes. Analysis of virus marker genes revealed a wide range of viruses had been assembled, including bacteriophages, cyanophages, nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses and a virophage, with putative hosts identified as Cyanobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, eukaryotic algae and amoebae. Whole genome comparisons revealed the majority of circular genome scaffolds (CGS) formed 12 novel groups, two of which contained multiple phage members with plasmid-like properties, including a group of phage-plasmids possessing plasmid-like partition genes and toxin-antitoxin addiction modules to ensure their replication and a satellite phage-plasmid group. Surprisingly we also assembled a phage that not only encoded plasmid partition genes, but a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas adaptive bacterial immune system. One of the spacers was an exact match for another phage in our virome, indicating that in a novel use of the system, the lysogen was potentially capable of conferring immunity on its bacterial host against other phage. Together these results suggest that highly novel and diverse groups of viruses are present in glacial environments, some of which utilize very unusual life strategies and genes to control their replication and maintain a long-term relationship with their hosts. Article in Journal/Newspaper Greenland Ice Sheet Svalbard University of Bristol: Bristol Research Frontiers in Microbiology 6 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Bristol: Bristol Research |
op_collection_id |
ftubristolcris |
language |
English |
topic |
virus ecology cryosphere virus genomes cryoconite lysogeny phage plasmid CRISPR |
spellingShingle |
virus ecology cryosphere virus genomes cryoconite lysogeny phage plasmid CRISPR Bellas, Christopher M Anesio, Alexandre M B Barker, Gary L A Analysis of virus genomes from glacial environments reveals novel virus groups with unusual host interactions |
topic_facet |
virus ecology cryosphere virus genomes cryoconite lysogeny phage plasmid CRISPR |
description |
Microbial communities in glacial ecosystems are diverse, active, and subjected to strong viral pressures and infection rates. In this study we analyse putative virus genomes assembled from three dsDNA viromes from cryoconite hole ecosystems of Svalbard and the Greenland Ice Sheet to assess the potential hosts and functional role viruses play in these habitats. We assembled 208 million reads from the virus-size fraction and developed a procedure to select genuine virus scaffolds from cellular contamination. Our curated virus library contained 546 scaffolds up to 230 Kb in length, 54 of which were circular virus consensus genomes. Analysis of virus marker genes revealed a wide range of viruses had been assembled, including bacteriophages, cyanophages, nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses and a virophage, with putative hosts identified as Cyanobacteria, Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, eukaryotic algae and amoebae. Whole genome comparisons revealed the majority of circular genome scaffolds (CGS) formed 12 novel groups, two of which contained multiple phage members with plasmid-like properties, including a group of phage-plasmids possessing plasmid-like partition genes and toxin-antitoxin addiction modules to ensure their replication and a satellite phage-plasmid group. Surprisingly we also assembled a phage that not only encoded plasmid partition genes, but a clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/Cas adaptive bacterial immune system. One of the spacers was an exact match for another phage in our virome, indicating that in a novel use of the system, the lysogen was potentially capable of conferring immunity on its bacterial host against other phage. Together these results suggest that highly novel and diverse groups of viruses are present in glacial environments, some of which utilize very unusual life strategies and genes to control their replication and maintain a long-term relationship with their hosts. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bellas, Christopher M Anesio, Alexandre M B Barker, Gary L A |
author_facet |
Bellas, Christopher M Anesio, Alexandre M B Barker, Gary L A |
author_sort |
Bellas, Christopher M |
title |
Analysis of virus genomes from glacial environments reveals novel virus groups with unusual host interactions |
title_short |
Analysis of virus genomes from glacial environments reveals novel virus groups with unusual host interactions |
title_full |
Analysis of virus genomes from glacial environments reveals novel virus groups with unusual host interactions |
title_fullStr |
Analysis of virus genomes from glacial environments reveals novel virus groups with unusual host interactions |
title_full_unstemmed |
Analysis of virus genomes from glacial environments reveals novel virus groups with unusual host interactions |
title_sort |
analysis of virus genomes from glacial environments reveals novel virus groups with unusual host interactions |
publishDate |
2015 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/1983/c4ff1565-2bf7-4e69-86c3-6d9f82200863 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/c4ff1565-2bf7-4e69-86c3-6d9f82200863 https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00656 https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/ws/files/62893462/Bellas_Frontiers.pdf |
genre |
Greenland Ice Sheet Svalbard |
genre_facet |
Greenland Ice Sheet Svalbard |
op_source |
Bellas , C M , Anesio , A M B & Barker , G L A 2015 , ' Analysis of virus genomes from glacial environments reveals novel virus groups with unusual host interactions ' , Frontiers in Microbiology , vol. 6 , 656 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00656 |
op_relation |
https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/publications/c4ff1565-2bf7-4e69-86c3-6d9f82200863 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2015.00656 |
container_title |
Frontiers in Microbiology |
container_volume |
6 |
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1799481056004407296 |