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Do phages impact microbial dynamics, prokaryotic community structure and nutrient dynamics in Lake Bourget?
Antony Meunier1, Stéphan Jacquet2
1INRA, UMR CARRTEL, 75 avenue de Corzent, Thonon-les-Bains 74203, Cedex, France.
Biology Open
|October 27, 2015
Summary
Increasing phage abundance boosted eubacterial diversity, supporting the 'killing the winner' concept. Viruses significantly impact bacterial communities, but not archaeal communities or nutrient cycling in this study.
Area of Science:
- Aquatic microbiology
- Virology
- Ecology
Background:
- Phages (viruses) are abundant in aquatic ecosystems.
- Understanding phage functional roles is crucial for aquatic ecology.
- Laboratory experiments are needed to study short-term viral impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate viral impact on bacterial and phytoplankton abundance.
- Analyze viral effects on Eubacteria and Archaea community composition.
- Assess viral influence on nutrient and organic matter recycling.
Main Methods:
- Surface water samples from Lake Bourget were used.
- Experiments manipulated virus-like particle abundance.
- Bacterial, archaeal, and phytoplankton communities were analyzed over 3 days.
Main Results:
- Increased phage abundance led to higher eubacterial diversity.
- Viral manipulation significantly altered bacterial community composition.
- Archaeal communities and nutrient cycling showed no significant viral impact.
Conclusions:
- Phages play a role in bacterial community structure via the 'killing the winner' mechanism.
- Viral control on archaeal communities was not evident in this study.
- The subtle role of viruses in nutrient cycling may require different experimental approaches.
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