Homing in on the rare virosphere reveals the native host of giant viruses.

ABSTRACT: Giant viruses (phylum Nucleocytoviricota) are globally distributed in aquatic ecosystems^1,2. They play major roles as evolutionary drivers of eukaryotic plankton³ and regulators of global biogeochemical cycles⁴. Recent metagenomic studies have significantly expanded the known diversity of marine giant viruses^1,5-7, but we still lack fundamental knowledge about their native hosts, thereby hindering our understanding of their lifecycle and ecological importance. Here, we aim to discover the native hosts of giant viruses using a novel, sensitive single-cell metatranscriptomic approach. By applying this approach to natural plankton communities, we unraveled an active viral infection of several giant viruses, from multiple lineages, and identified the

SUBMITTER: Fromm A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10327091 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature