title: [Molecular ecology of microalgal viruses].
abstract: A great amount of virus particles exist in natural waters. Each virion is considered to have its own ecological role, affecting the maintenance and fluctuation of aquatic ecosystems. We have been studying viruses infectious to micro-plankton, especially those infecting phytoplankton. Red tides are caused by drastic increase in abundance of plankton. We succeeded in elucidating that viral infection is one of the most important factors determining the dynamics and termination of algal blooms by means of field survey and molecular experiments. In addition, we demonstrated that the interrelationship between viruses and their hosts are highly complicated, and might be determined by the molecular-structural difference of viral capsids among distinct virus ecotypes. Furthermore, in the process of our investigation on various aquatic algal viruses, their importance as genetic sources has also been suggested. In order to deeply understand the mechanism of aquatic ecosystem, more intensive studies as for aquatic viruses are urgently required.
authors.affiliation: National Research Institute of Fisheries and Environment of Inland Sea, Fisheries Research Agency, Hirohima, Japan. nagasaki@affrc.go.jp
authors.forename: Keizo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagasaki
authors.forename: Yoshitake
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takao
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shirai
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mizumoto
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tomaru
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002213:Capsid / Q000737:chemistry; D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000821:virology; D017753:Ecosystem; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000502:physiology / Q000821:virology; D005068:Eutrophication; D047668:Inteins / Q000235:genetics; D017862:Phycodnaviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D010839:Phytoplankton / Q000821:virology*; D014871:Water Microbiology
chemical_list: D004259:DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase