Sulfur oxidation genes in diverse deep-sea viruses.
Viruses are the most abundant biological entities in the oceans and a pervasive cause of mortality of microorganisms that drive biogeochemical cycles. Although the ecological and evolutionary effects of viruses on marine phototrophs are well recognized, little is known about their impact on ubiquitous marine lithotrophs. Here, we report 18 genome sequences of double-stranded DNA viruses that putatively infect widespread sulfur-oxidizing bacteria. Fifteen of these viral genomes contain auxiliary metabolic genes for the α and γ subunits of reverse dissimilatory sulfite reductase (rdsr). This enzyme oxidizes elemental sulfur, which is abundant in the hydrothermal plumes studied here. Our findings implicate viruses as a key agent in the sulfur cycle and as a reservoir of genetic diversity for bacterial enzymes that underpin chemosynthesis in the deep oceans.
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Karthik
K
Anantharaman
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
Melissa B
MB
Duhaime
Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA.
John A
JA
Breier
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
Kathleen A
KA
Wendt
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
Brandy M
BM
Toner
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. Center for Computational Medicine and Bioinformatics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. gdick@umich.edu.
Gregory J
GJ
Dick
D052837:Chemoautotrophic Growth; D004267:DNA Viruses / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D050885:Hydrogensulfite Reductase / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D010802:Phylogeny; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000821:virology; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism*; D016999:Sulfur-Reducing Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D004279:DNA, Viral; D021122:Protein Subunits; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D013455:Sulfur; D050885:Hydrogensulfite Reductase