Light-dependent adsorption of photosynthetic cyanophages to Synechococcus sp. WH7803

Cyanophages infecting marine Synechococcus strains are abundant in the world's oceans and are of considerable ecological significance by virtue of their hosts' role as prominent primary producers in the marine environment. In nature, cyanobacteria experience diel light-dark (LD) cycles, which may exert significant effects on the phage life cycle. An investigation into the role of light revealed that cyanophage S-PM2 adsorption to Synechococcus sp. WH7803 was a light-dependent process. Phage adsorption assays were carried out under illumination at different wavelengths and also in the presence of photosynthesis inhibitors. Furthermore, phage adsorption was also assayed to LD-entrained cells at different points in the circadian cycle. Cyanophage S-PM2 exhibited a considerably decreased adsorption rate under red light as compared with blue, green, yellow light or daylight. However, photosynthesis per se was not required for adsorption as inhibitors such as dichlorophenyldimethyl urea did not affect the process. Neither was S-PM2 adsorption influenced by the circadian rhythm of the host cells. The presence or absence of the photosynthetic reaction centre gene psbA in cyanophage genomes was not correlated with the light-dependent phage adsorption.