病毒是地球上丰度最高的“生物”类群，它可以通过编码辅助代谢基因(AMG)调控宿主的相关代谢过程，并参与生物地球化学循环。然而，目前对于病毒是否可以调控宿主的碳水化合物代谢却未见报道。在前期工作中，我们发现在红树林土壤病毒中存在大量的碳水化合物辅助代谢基因（CAZyme AMG），表明病毒极有可能通过编码CAZyme基因调控微生物宿主的碳水化合物代谢过程，进而参与红树林的碳循环。在前期研究基础上，本项目拟通过对比分析病毒和宿主CAZyme参与代谢通路的差异，研究红树林土壤病毒调控微生物宿主碳水化合物代谢的机制；通过分析红树林土壤病毒CAZyme基因丰度/表达量与土壤碳水化合物降解活性的相关性，研究病毒CAZyme基因在红树林中的潜在生态意义。本项目的研究将揭示病毒对宿主碳水化合物代谢的调控机制，拓宽我们对环境病毒在碳循环中作用的认识，为全面了解环境病毒的生态作用提供重要依据。

Viruses are the most abundant “biological” entities on earth. They can manipulate host metabolisms through encoding auxiliary metabolic gene, and hence participate in biogeochemical cycles. However, little is known about whether environmental viruses can regulate host carbohydrate metabolism. In the previous work, we found abundant carbohydrate-active enzymes ( CAZyme ) in mangrove soil viruses, indicating that mangrove soil viruses are likely to regulate the host's carbohydrate metabolism by encoding CAZyme gene, and then participate in mangrove carbon cycle and energy cycle. Based on our previous findings, this project will study the molecular mechanisms underlying viral manipulation of host carbohydrate metabolism by comparing the differences between metabolic pathways encoded by viral and host’s CAZyme genes. Furthermore, the potential ecological significance of viral CAZyme gene in mangrove ecosystems will be investigated through analyzing the correlations between viral CAZyme gene abundance / expression and mangrove soil carbohydrate degradation activities. Therefore, this project will uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying viral manipulation of host carbohydrate metabolism, which will broaden our understanding of the role of environmental viruses in the carbon cycle, and provide an important basis for a comprehensive understanding of the ecological roles of environmental viruses.