A novel sister clade to the enterobacteria microviruses (family Microviridae) identified in methane seep sediments. (25th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bryson, Samuel Joseph; Thurber, Andrew R.; Correa, Adrienne M. S.; Orphan, Victoria J.; Vega Thurber, Rebecca
• Is Part Of: Environmental microbiology. Volume 17:Number 10(2015:Oct.)
• Page Start: 3708
• Page End: 3721
• Publication Date: 2015-03-25
• Subjects: Microbial ecology -- Periodicals; Environmental Microbiology -- Periodicals; 579.17
• DOI: 10.1111/1462-2920.12758
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1462-2912

Abstract

Summary: Methane seep microbial communities perform a key ecosystem service by consuming the greenhouse gas methane prior to its release into the hydrosphere, minimizing the impact of marine methane sources on our climate. Although previous studies have examined the ecology and biochemistry of these communities, none has examined viral assemblages associated with these habitats. We employed virus particle purification, genome amplification, pyrosequencing and gene/genome reconstruction and annotation on two metagenomic libraries, one prepared for ssDNA and the other for all DNA, to identify the viral community in a methane seep. Similarity analysis of these libraries (raw and assembled) revealed a community dominated by phages, with a significant proportion of similarities to the M icroviridae family of ssDNA phages. We define these viruses as the Eel River Basin M icroviridae (ERBM). Assembly and comparison of 21 ERBM closed circular genomes identified five as members of a novel sister clade to the M icrovirus genus of Enterobacteria phages. Comparisons among other metagenomes and these Microviridae major‐capsid sequences indicated that this clade of phages is currently unique to the Eel River Basin sediments. Given this ERBM clade's relationship to the M icroviridae genus M icrovirus, we define this sister clade as the candidate genus P equeñovirus .