Diversity of dsDNA viruses in a South African hot spring assessed by metagenomics and microscopy
Date
2017Author
Zablocki, Olivier
van Zyl, Leonardo Joaquim
Kirby, Bronwyn
Trindade, Marla
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The current view of virus diversity in terrestrial hot springs is limited to a few sampling
sites. To expand our current understanding of hot spring viral community diversity, this study
aimed to investigate the first African hot spring (Brandvlei hot spring; 60 C, pH 5.7) by means
of electron microscopy and sequencing of the virus fraction. Microscopy analysis revealed a
mixture of regular- and ‘jumbo’-sized tailed morphotypes (Caudovirales), lemon-shaped virions
(Fuselloviridae-like; salterprovirus-like) and pleiomorphic virus-like particles. Metavirome analysis
corroborated the presence of His1-like viruses and has expanded the current clade of salterproviruses
using a polymerase B gene phylogeny. The most represented viral contig was to a cyanophage genome
fragment, which may underline basic ecosystem functioning provided by these viruses. Furthermore,
a putative Gemmata-related phage was assembled with high coverage, a previously undocumented
phage-host association. This study demonstrated that a moderately thermophilic spring environment
contained a highly novel pool of viruses and should encourage future characterization of a wider
temperature range of hot springs throughout the world.