title: Viruses Occur Incorporated in Biogenic High-Mg Calcite from Hypersaline Microbial Mats.
abstract: Using three different microscopy techniques (epifluorescence, electronic and atomic force microscopy), we showed that high-Mg calcite grains in calcifying microbial mats from the hypersaline lake "La Salada de Chiprana", Spain, contain viruses with a diameter of 50-80 nm. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer analysis revealed that they contain nitrogen and phosphorus in a molar ratio of ~9, which is typical for viruses. Nucleic acid staining revealed that they contain DNA or RNA. As characteristic for hypersaline environments, the concentrations of free and attached viruses were high (>10(10) viruses per g of mat). In addition, we showed that acid treatment (dissolution of calcite) resulted in release of viruses into suspension and estimated that there were ~15 × 10(9) viruses per g of calcite. We suggest that virus-mineral interactions are one of the possible ways for the formation of nano-sized structures often described as "nanobacteria" and that viruses may play a role in initiating calcification.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation (MARBEC),Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, Place Eugène Bataillon, Case 093, 34095, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Rutger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Wit
authors.affiliation: Université d'Orléans, ISTO, UMR 7327, 45071, Orléans, France and CNRS, ISTO, UMR 7327, 45071 Orléans, France and BRGM, ISTO, UMR 7327, BP 36009, 45060, Orléans, France.
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gautret
authors.affiliation: Centre for Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation (MARBEC),Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, Place Eugène Bataillon, Case 093, 34095, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bettarel
authors.affiliation: Centre for Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation (MARBEC),Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, Place Eugène Bataillon, Case 093, 34095, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roques
authors.affiliation: Institut des Sciences Moléculaires d'Orsay (ISMO), Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, Bâtiment 350, Université Paris-Sud, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marlière
authors.affiliation: DRED Services Communs de la Recherche/ Centre Technologique de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier, 34095, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ramonda
authors.affiliation: Nanobiomedicine group, Laboratory Ultrastructure, Department of Virology, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), 1 Yersin Street, Hai Ba Trung, 1000, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Thuy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nguyen Thanh
authors.affiliation: Nanobiomedicine group, Laboratory Ultrastructure, Department of Virology, National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology (NIHE), 1 Yersin Street, Hai Ba Trung, 1000, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Huy
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tran Quang
authors.affiliation: Centre for Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation (MARBEC),Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Ifremer, Place Eugène Bataillon, Case 093, 34095, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bouvier
mesh_terms: D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000737:chemistry*; D054712:Salinity; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D014780:Viruses / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002119:Calcium Carbonate