Ecology of diatom DNA and RNA viruses in marine environments

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Since the first discovery of a diatom-infecting virus, viral infection is assumed to be a significant factor affecting the dynamics of diatoms. Recently, two diatom viruses, CtenDNAV and CtenRNAV, which share the same host species, Chaetoceros tenuissimus, were isolated and characterised. We evaluated the relationships between water temperature and viral infections. The results showed that the host population decline due to CtenDNAV was faster at higher water temperatures, and vice versa for CtenRNAV. The susceptibilities of the host species to CtenRNAV were diverse among the strains, and they changed along with water temperature, but not for CtenDNAV. These virus proliferation characteristics, including dependency on water temperature, might be important factors affecting the diatom hos and virus relationship, resulting in both their dominance and survival in nature.