Temperature seasonality constrains soil T4-like bacteriophage abundance at large spatial scale.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Viruses play key roles in regulating soil microbial dynamics and biogeochemical cycles. T4-like bacteriophages, one of the best-studied viral groups, are abundant in soils, but their biogeographical patterns and ecological drivers remain poorly understood. In this study, we performed the first large-scale assessment of soil T4-like bacteriophages based on metagenomic data using viral hallmark genes, revealing broad spatial structure, identifying dominant environmental factors, and projecting shifts under future climate scenarios.

Results

We analyzed two viral hallmark genes, gene 20 (g20) and gene 23 (g23), retrieved from global soil metagenomes, and National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) reference sequences, yielding 2,385 and 2,928 full-length sequ

SUBMITTER: Zhao Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12777113 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature