Nutrient Loading and Viral Memory Drive Accumulation of Restriction Modification Systems in Bloom-Forming Cyanobacteria.

ABSTRACT: The mechanisms driving cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (HABs) like those caused by Microcystis aeruginosa remain elusive, but improved defense against viral predation has been implicated for success in eutrophic environments. Our genus-level analyses of 139,023 genomes revealed that HAB-forming cyanobacteria carry vastly more restriction modification systems per genome (RMPG) than nearly all other prokaryotic genera, suggesting that viral defense is a cornerstone of their ecological success. In contrast, picocyanobacteria that numerically dominate nutrient-poor systems have the fewest RMPG within the phylum Cyanobacteria. We used classic resource competition models to explore the hypothesis that nutrient enrichments drive ecological selection for high RMPG due to increased host-

SUBMITTER: Papoulis SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8262939 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature