Viral Distribution and Life Strategies in the Bach Dang Estuary, Vietnam

Although the structure and dynamics of planktonic viruses in freshwater and seawater environments are relatively well documented, little is known about the occurrence and activity of these viruses in estuaries, especially in the tropics. Viral abundance, life strategies, and morphotype distribution...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Microbial ecology 2011-07, Vol.62 (1), p.143-154
Main Authors: Bettarel, Yvan, Bouvier, Thierry, Agis, Martin, Bouvier, Corinne, Van Chu, Thuoc, Combe, Marine, Mari, Xavier, Nghiem, Minh Ngoc, Nguyen, Thuy Thanh, Pham, Thu The, Pringault, Olivier, Rochelle-Newall, Emma, Torréton, Jean-Pascal, Tran, Huy Quang
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity and Ecology
Biological and medical sciences
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Brackish
Ecology
Environmental Sciences
Estuaries
Fresh water
Fresh Water - analysis
Fresh Water - virology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Geoecology/Natural Processes
Life Sciences
Metagenomics
Microbial Ecology
Microbiology
MICROBIOLOGY OF AQUATIC SYSTEMS
Molecular Sequence Data
Myoviridae
Nature Conservation
Phylogenetics
Phylogeny
Prokaryotes
Salinity
Sea water
Seawater - analysis
Seawater - virology
Sodium Chloride - analysis
Vietnam
Viral morphology
Virus Latency
Virus Physiological Phenomena
Viruses
Viruses - classification
Viruses - genetics
Viruses - isolation & purification
Water Quality/Water Pollution
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Summary:Although the structure and dynamics of planktonic viruses in freshwater and seawater environments are relatively well documented, little is known about the occurrence and activity of these viruses in estuaries, especially in the tropics. Viral abundance, life strategies, and morphotype distribution were examined in the Bach Dang Estuary (Vietnam) during the dry season in 2009. The abundance of both viruses and their prokaryotic hosts decreased significantly from upstream to downstream, probably as the result of nutrient dilution and osmotic stress faced by the freshwater communities. The antibiotic mitomycin-C revealed that the fraction of lysogenic cells was substantially higher in the lower seawater part of the estuary (max 27.1%) than in the upper freshwater area where no inducible lysogens were observed. The question of whether there is a massive, continuous induction of marine lysogens caused by the mixing with freshwater is considered. Conversely, the production of lytic viruses declined as salinity increased, indicating a spatial succession of viral life strategies in this tropical estuary. Icosahedral tailless viruses with capsids smaller than 60 nm dominated the viral assemblage throughout the estuary (63.0% to 72.1% of the total viral counts), and their distribution was positively correlated with that of viral lytic production. Interestingly, the gamma-proteobacteria explained a significant portion of the variance in the 90 nm) was explained by the beta-proteobacteria. Overall, these results support the view that the environment, through selection mechanisms, probably shapes the structure of the prokaryotic community. This might be in turn a source of selection for the virioplankton community via specific affiliation favoring particular morphotypes and life strategies.
ISSN:0095-3628
1432-184X
DOI:10.1007/s00248-011-9835-6