Novel Viral Communities Potentially Assisting in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Sulfur Metabolism in the Upper Slope Sediments of Mariana Trench.

ABSTRACT: Viruses are ubiquitous in the oceans. Even in the deep sediments of the Mariana Trench, viruses have high productivity. However, little is known about their species composition and survival strategies in that environment. Here, we uncovered novel viral communities (3,206 viral scaffolds) in the upper slope sediments of the Mariana Trench via metagenomic analysis of 15 sediment samples. Most (99%) of the viral scaffolds lack known viral homologs, and ca. 59% of the high-quality viral genomes (total of 111 with completeness of >90%) represent novel genera, including some Phycodnaviridae and jumbo phages. These viruses contain various auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) potentially involved in organic carbon degradation, inorganic carbon fixation, denitrification, and assimilatory sulfate

SUBMITTER: Zhao J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8725595 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature