Virus decomposition provides an important contribution to benthic deep-sea ecosystem functioning
Abstract
Viruses proliferate at the expense of their hosts. After cell death the released viruses can infect other hosts or undergo decomposition processes. Here we show, for the first time to our knowledge, that in deep-sea ecosystems, the largest biome of the biosphere, approximately 25% of viruses released by lysed prokaryotic cells are decomposed at fast rates. We show that, given the huge viral biomass of the ocean seafloor and the high rates of this process, virus decomposition provides a major source of labile organic compounds able to sustain the microbial food webs and nutrient cycling at a global scale. These findings provide new insights that will enable a better understanding of the functioning of the global oceans.
- Publication:
-
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science
- Pub Date:
- April 2015
- DOI:
- 10.1073/pnas.1422234112
- Bibcode:
- 2015PNAS..112E2014D