Isolation of viruses from high temperature environments.
The detection and isolation of viruses directly from high temperature (>80 degrees C) acidic (pH<4) hot springs, fumaroles, and soils has long been challenging. These extreme environments tend to have a low biomass (typically <10(6) cells/ml) and low free viral abundance (10(3)-10(6)particles/ml) compared to eutrophic freshwater lakes (1) or near- shore marine environments (2). Establishing laboratory cultures from these environments pose challenges due to the extreme and poorly defined growth conditions that must be mimicked in the laboratory. Likewise, culture-independent approaches for isolation of viruses are problematic because of our rudimentary knowledge of viral diversity in these environments and the lack of universally conserved signatures that can be used for virus detection and isolation. Here we discuss both culture-based and culture-independent techniques for detection and isolation of viruses from acidic thermal features.
Fulton
Jennifer
J
Department of Microbiology and Thermal Biology Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, USA.
Douglas
Trevor
T
Young
And Mark
AM
D045482:Hot Springs / Q000821:virology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D012988:Soil Microbiology; D014780:Viruses / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014871:Water Microbiology