Viral impacts on bacterial communities in Arctic cryoconite
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Standard
Viral impacts on bacterial communities in Arctic cryoconite. / Bellas, Christopher M.; Anesio, Alexandre M.; Telling, Jon; Stibal, Marek; Tranter, Martyn; Davis, Sean.
In: Environmental Research Letters, Vol. 8, No. 4, 045021, 2013.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Harvard
APA
Vancouver
Author
Bibtex
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
T1 - Viral impacts on bacterial communities in Arctic cryoconite
AU - Bellas, Christopher M.
AU - Anesio, Alexandre M.
AU - Telling, Jon
AU - Stibal, Marek
AU - Tranter, Martyn
AU - Davis, Sean
N1 - CENPERMOA[2013]
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - The surfaces of glaciers are extreme ecosystems dominated by microbial communities. Viruses are found in abundance here, with a high frequency of bacteria displaying visible virus infection. In this study, viral and bacterial production was measured in Arctic cryoconite holes to address the control that viruses play in these highly truncated ecosystems. Mean bacterial carbon production in the sediments of cryoconite holes was found to be 57.8 +/- 12.9 ng C g(-1) dry wt. h(-1), which predicted a mean of 1.89-5.41 x 10(6) cells g(-1) dry wt. h(-1) based on a range of conversion factors. Relative to this, virus production was found to be high, up to 8.98 x 10(7) virus like particles g(-1) dry wt. h(-1) were produced, which is comparable to virus production in sediments around the globe. The virus burst size was assessed by transmission electron microscopy and found to be amongst the lowest recorded in the literature (mean 2.4). Hence, to account for the measured virus production, the viral induced bacterial mortality was calculated to be more than capable of accounting for the mortality of all bacterial production. The data presented here, therefore, suggests that viral induced mortality is a dominant process for the release and recycling of carbon and nutrients in supraglacial ecosystems.
AB - The surfaces of glaciers are extreme ecosystems dominated by microbial communities. Viruses are found in abundance here, with a high frequency of bacteria displaying visible virus infection. In this study, viral and bacterial production was measured in Arctic cryoconite holes to address the control that viruses play in these highly truncated ecosystems. Mean bacterial carbon production in the sediments of cryoconite holes was found to be 57.8 +/- 12.9 ng C g(-1) dry wt. h(-1), which predicted a mean of 1.89-5.41 x 10(6) cells g(-1) dry wt. h(-1) based on a range of conversion factors. Relative to this, virus production was found to be high, up to 8.98 x 10(7) virus like particles g(-1) dry wt. h(-1) were produced, which is comparable to virus production in sediments around the globe. The virus burst size was assessed by transmission electron microscopy and found to be amongst the lowest recorded in the literature (mean 2.4). Hence, to account for the measured virus production, the viral induced bacterial mortality was calculated to be more than capable of accounting for the mortality of all bacterial production. The data presented here, therefore, suggests that viral induced mortality is a dominant process for the release and recycling of carbon and nutrients in supraglacial ecosystems.
KW - virus
KW - bacteriophage
KW - cryoconite
KW - glacier
KW - DOM
U2 - 10.1088/1748-9326/8/4/045021
DO - 10.1088/1748-9326/8/4/045021
M3 - Journal article
VL - 8
JO - Environmental Research Letters
JF - Environmental Research Letters
SN - 1748-9326
IS - 4
M1 - 045021
ER -
ID: 119832012