title: Analysis of metagenomic data reveals common features of halophilic viral communities across continents.
abstract: Microbial communities from hypersaline ponds, dominated by halophilic archaea, are considered specific of such extreme conditions. The associated viral communities have accordingly been shown to display specific features, such as similar morphologies among different sites. However, little is known about the genetic diversity of these halophilic viral communities across the Earth. Here, we studied viral communities in hypersaline ponds sampled on the coast of Senegal (8-36% of salinity) using metagenomics approach, and compared them with hypersaline viromes from Australia and Spain. The specificity of hyperhalophilic viruses could first be demonstrated at a community scale, salinity being a strong discriminating factor between communities. For the major viral group detected in all samples (Caudovirales), only a limited number of halophilic Caudovirales clades were highlighted. These clades gather viruses from different continents and display consistent genetic composition, indicating that they represent related lineages with a worldwide distribution. Non-tailed hyperhalophilic viruses display a greater rate of gene transfer and recombination, with uncharacterized genes conserved across different kind of viruses and plasmids. Thus, hypersaline viral communities around the world appear to form a genetically consistent community that are likely to harbour new genes coding for enzymes specifically adapted to these environments.
authors.affiliation: Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire 'Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement', Clermont Université, Clermont-Ferrand, France.|CNRS UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roux
authors.affiliation: Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire 'Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement', Clermont Université, Clermont-Ferrand, France.|CNRS UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France.
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Enault
authors.affiliation: Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire 'Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement', Clermont Université, Clermont-Ferrand, France.|CNRS UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France.
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ravet
authors.affiliation: Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire 'Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement', Clermont Université, Clermont-Ferrand, France.|CNRS UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Colombet
authors.affiliation: IRD UMR 5119 ECOSYM, Université Montpellier 2, Montpellier, 34095, France.
authors.forename: Yvan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bettarel
authors.affiliation: Marine Biodiversity, Exploitation and Conservation (MARBEC), UMR CNRS 9190, Montpellier University, Place Eugéne Bataillon, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Jean-Christophe
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Auguet
authors.affiliation: IRD UMR 5119 ECOSYM, Université Montpellier 2, Montpellier, 34095, France.
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bouvier
authors.affiliation: Unité Biologie Moléculaire du Gène chez les Extrêmophiles, Département de Microbiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: Soizick
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lucas-Staat
authors.affiliation: Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire 'Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement', Clermont Université, Clermont-Ferrand, France.|CNRS UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France.
authors.forename: Agnès
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vellet
authors.affiliation: Unité Biologie Moléculaire du Gène chez les Extrêmophiles, Département de Microbiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Prangishvili
authors.affiliation: Unité Biologie Moléculaire du Gène chez les Extrêmophiles, Département de Microbiologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.|Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire du Gène chez les Extrêmophiles, CNRS UMR 8621, Université Paris Sud, Institut de Génétique et Microbiologie, Orsay, France.
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Forterre
authors.affiliation: Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire 'Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement', Clermont Université, Clermont-Ferrand, France.|CNRS UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France.
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Debroas
authors.affiliation: Université Blaise Pascal, Laboratoire 'Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement', Clermont Université, Clermont-Ferrand, France.|CNRS UMR 6023, LMGE, Aubière, France.
authors.forename: Telesphore
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sime-Ngando
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D017899:Caudovirales / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D056186:Metagenomics; D061005:Ponds / Q000821:virology*; D054712:Salinity; D012675:Senegal; D013030:Spain