title: Filamentous phages prevalent in Pseudoalteromonas spp. confer properties advantageous to host survival in Arctic sea ice.
abstract: Sea ice is one of the most frigid environments for marine microbes. In contrast to other ocean ecosystems, microbes in permanent sea ice are space confined and subject to many extreme conditions, which change on a seasonal basis. How these microbial communities are regulated to survive the extreme sea ice environment is largely unknown. Here, we show that filamentous phages regulate the host bacterial community to improve survival of the host in permanent Arctic sea ice. We isolated a filamentous phage, f327, from an Arctic sea ice Pseudoalteromonas strain, and we demonstrated that this type of phage is widely distributed in Arctic sea ice. Growth experiments and transcriptome analysis indicated that this phage decreases the host growth rate, cell density and tolerance to NaCl and H2O2, but enhances its motility and chemotaxis. Our results suggest that the presence of the filamentous phage may be beneficial for survival of the host community in sea ice in winter, which is characterized by polar night, nutrient deficiency and high salinity, and that the filamentous phage may help avoid over blooming of the host in sea ice in summer, which is characterized by polar day, rich nutrient availability, intense radiation and high concentration of H2O2. Thus, while they cannot kill the host cells by lysing them, filamentous phages confer properties advantageous to host survival in the Arctic sea ice environment. Our study provides a foremost insight into the ecological role of filamentous phages in the Arctic sea ice ecosystem.
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China [2] Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Zi-Chao
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China [2] Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China [3] Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Xiu-Lan
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Qing-Tao
authors.initials: QT
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China [2] Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Dian-Li
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China [2] Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Bai-Lu
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China [2] Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China [3] Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Hai-Nan
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China [2] Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Zhao-Yu
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China [2] Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China [3] Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Qi-Long
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China [2] Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China [3] Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Bin-Bin
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China [2] Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China [3] Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Xi-Ying
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: SOA Key Laboratory for Polar Science, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Bai-Cheng
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: SOA Key Laboratory for Polar Science, Polar Research Institute of China, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Shandong University, Jinan, China [2] Marine Biotechnology Research Center, Shandong University, Jinan, China [3] Collaborative Innovation Center of Deep Sea Biology, Shandong University, Jinan, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Zhong
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D001110:Arctic Regions; D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000502:physiology*; D017753:Ecosystem; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D046448:Ice Cover / Q000382:microbiology*; D031161:Pseudoalteromonas / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000821:virology*; D012621:Seasons; D012623:Seawater / Q000382:microbiology*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012965:Sodium Chloride; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide