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Diversity in the soil virosphere: to infinity and beyond?
Simon Roux1, Joanne B Emerson2
1DOE (Department of Energy) Joint Genome Institute, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Trends in Microbiology
|June 1, 2022
Summary
Soil viromics, using virus-focused metagenome and metatranscriptome analyses, reveals high viral activity and diversity. A global soil virosphere atlas is proposed to understand viruses' roles in soil ecosystems.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Environmental Science
- Genomics
Background:
- Viruses are crucial components of Earth's microbiomes, significantly influencing microbial community structure and function.
- Understanding the soil virosphere is essential for comprehending terrestrial ecosystem dynamics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight recent advancements in soil viromics, including metagenomic and metatranscriptomic approaches.
- To propose key eco-evolutionary processes driving soil virus diversity.
- To advocate for a collaborative "global soil virosphere atlas".
Main Methods:
- Utilizing virus-focused metagenome and metatranscriptome analyses to study soil viral communities.
- Analyzing viral activity, diversity, and dynamics across various spatiotemporal scales.
Main Results:
- Soil viromics provides novel insights into the soil virosphere.
- Emerging data indicates substantial soil viral activity, diversity, and rapid dynamics.
- Hypothesized eco-evolutionary processes are identified as primary drivers of soil virus diversity.
Conclusions:
- Soil viruses play significant roles in microbial ecosystems and terrestrial biogeochemical cycles.
- A coordinated global effort is required to create a comprehensive soil virosphere atlas.
- This atlas will facilitate a deeper understanding of soil virus functions across different scales.
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