Seasonal variations in virus-host populations in Norwegian coastal waters: focusing on the cyanophage community infecting marine Synechococcus spp.

ABSTRACT: Viruses are ubiquitous components of the marine ecosystem. In the current study we investigated seasonal variations in the viral community in Norwegian coastal waters by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The results demonstrated that the viral community was diverse, displaying dynamic seasonal variation, and that viral populations of 29 different sizes in the range from 26 to 500 kb were present. Virus populations from 260 to 500 kb and dominating autotrophic pico- and nanoeukaryotes showed similar dynamic variations. Using flow cytometry and real-time PCR, we focused in particular on one host-virus system: Synechococcus spp. and cyanophages. The two groups covaried throughout the year and were found in the highest amounts in fall with concentrations of 7.3 x 10(4) Synechococcus cel

SUBMITTER: Sandaa RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1489308 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature