Virophage infection mode determines ecological and evolutionary changes in a host-virus-virophage system.

ABSTRACT: Giant viruses can control their eukaryotic host populations, shaping the ecology and evolution of aquatic microbial communities. Understanding the impact of the viruses' own parasites, the virophages, on the control of microbial communities remains a challenge. Most virophages have two modes of infection. They can exist as free particles coinfecting host cells together with the virus, where they replicate while inhibiting viral replication. Virophages can also integrate into the host genome, replicate through host cell division and remain dormant until the host is infected with a virus, leading to virophage reactivation and replication without inhibiting viral replication. Both infection modes (reactivation vs. coinfection) occur within host-virus-virophage communities, and their relative

SUBMITTER: Del Arco A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11653005 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature