title: Deep sequencing of the viral phoH gene reveals temporal variation, depth-specific composition, and persistent dominance of the same viral phoH genes in the Sargasso Sea.
abstract: Deep sequencing of the viral phoH gene, a host-derived auxiliary metabolic gene, was used to track viral diversity throughout the water column at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site in the summer (September) and winter (March) of three years. Viral phoH sequences reveal differences in the viral communities throughout a depth profile and between seasons in the same year. Variation was also detected between the same seasons in subsequent years, though these differences were not as great as the summer/winter distinctions. Over 3,600 phoH operational taxonomic units (OTUs; 97% sequence identity) were identified. Despite high richness, most phoH sequences belong to a few large, common OTUs whereas the majority of the OTUs are small and rare. While many OTUs make sporadic appearances at just a few times or depths, a small number of OTUs dominate the community throughout the seasons, depths, and years.
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Science, University of South Florida , St. Petersburg, FL , USA.
authors.forename: Dawn B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Goldsmith
authors.affiliation: Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences , St. George's , Bermuda.
authors.forename: Rachel J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University , San Diego, CA , USA.
authors.forename: Damitu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beyene
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University , San Diego, CA , USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salamon
authors.affiliation: College of Marine Science, University of South Florida , St. Petersburg, FL , USA.
authors.forename: Mya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breitbart
keywords: Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study; Sargasso Sea; Viral diversity; phoH