title: How many Coccolithovirus genotypes does it take to terminate an Emiliania huxleyi bloom?
abstract: Giant viruses are known to be significant mortality agents of phytoplankton, often being implicated in the terminations of large Emiliania huxleyi blooms. We have previously shown the high temporal variability of E. huxleyi-infecting coccolithoviruses (EhVs) within a Norwegian fjord mesocosm. In the current study we investigated EhV dynamics within a naturally-occurring E. huxleyi bloom in the Western English Channel. Using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis and marker gene sequencing, we uncovered a spatially highly dynamic Coccolithovirus population that was associated with a genetically stable E. huxleyi population as revealed by the major capsid protein gene (mcp) and coccolith morphology motif (CMM), respectively. Coccolithoviruses within the bloom were found to be variable with depth and unique virus populations were detected at different stations sampled indicating a complex network of EhV-host infections. This ultimately will have significant implications to the internal structure and longevity of ecologically important E. huxleyi blooms.
authors.affiliation: The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Highfield
authors.affiliation: Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, UK.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, UK.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Walne
authors.affiliation: Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, UK.
authors.forename: Peter I
authors.initials: PI
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth PL1 2PB, UK; Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science, The Laboratory, Citadel Hill, Plymouth, UK. Electronic address: dsch@mba.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Declan C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Schroeder
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005068:Eutrophication; D015723:Gene Library; D005838:Genotype; D058087:Haptophyta / Q000254:growth & development / Q000821:virology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D017862:Phycodnaviridae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D058998:Remote Sensing Technology; D012623:Seawater / Q000821:virology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins
keywords: CMM; Coccolithovirus; EhV; Emiliania huxleyi; mcp