title: Viral metabolic reprogramming in marine ecosystems.
abstract: Marine viruses often contain host-derived metabolic genes (i.e., auxiliary metabolic genes; AMGs), which are hypothesized to increase viral replication by augmenting key steps in host metabolism. Currently described AMGs encompass a wide variety of metabolic functions, including amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism, energy production, and iron-sulfur cluster assembly and modification, and their community-wide gene content and abundance vary as a function of environmental conditions. Here, we describe different AMGs classes, their hypothesized role in redirecting host carbon metabolism, and their ecological importance. Focusing on metagenomic ocean surveys, we propose a new model where a suite of phage-encoded genes activate host pathways that respond rapidly to environmental cues, presumably resulting in rapid changes to host metabolic flux for phage production.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University of Arizona, 1177 E. 4th Street, Shantz Building, Room 403, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA. Electronic address: bhurwitz@arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Bonnie L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Hurwitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, University of Arizona, 1177 E. 4th Street, Shantz Building, Room 403, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
authors.forename: Jana M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: U'Ren
mesh_terms: D001435:Bacteriophages / Q000235:genetics*; D017753:Ecosystem; D016679:Genome, Viral / Q000235:genetics*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions / Q000235:genetics*; D054892:Metagenome; D048929:Prochlorococcus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D012623:Seawater / Q000821:virology; D046940:Synechococcus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology