biostudies-literatureUnknownMartin RMNIEHS NIH HHSAlthough evidence indicates that viruses are important in the ecology of Microcystis spp., many questions remain. For example, how does Microcystis exist at high, bloom-associated cell concentrations in the presence of viruses that infect it? The phenomenon of lysogeny and associated homoimmunity offer possible explanations to this question. Virtually nothing is known about lysogeny in Microcystis , but a metatranscriptomic study suggests that widespread, transient lysogeny is active during blooms. These observations lead us to posit that lysogeny is important in modulating Microcystis blooms. Using a classic mitomycin C-based induction study, we tested for lysogeny in a Microcystis -dominated community in Lake Erie in 2019. Treated communities were incubbioRxiv : the preprint server for biology2024.11.06.622312https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11580894biostudies-literatureMitomycin C eliminates cyanobacterial transcription without detectable lysogen induction in a Microcystis -dominated bloom in Lake Erie.PMC11580894P01 ES028939Chaffin JDBarnes EAWilhelm SWMartin RMDenison ERPound HLfalseMitomycin C eliminates cyanobacterial transcription without detectable lysogen induction in a Microcystis -dominated bloom in Lake Erie.Although evidence indicates that viruses are important in the ecology of Microcystis spp., many questions remain. For example, how does Microcystis exist at high, bloom-associated cell concentrations in the presence of viruses that infect it? The phenomenon of lysogeny and associated homoimmunity offer possible explanations to this question. Virtually nothing is known about lysogeny in Microcystis , but a metatranscriptomic study suggests that widespread, transient lysogeny is active during blooms. These observations lead us to posit that lysogeny is important in modulating Microcystis blooms. Using a classic mitomycin C-based induction study, we tested for lysogeny in a Microcystis -dominated community in Lake Erie in 2019. Treated communities were incub2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Nov2025-04-18T16:51:41.898Z2025-04-07T04:18:52.112ZS-EPMC115808943957468210.1101/2024.11.06.622312