Speaker
Description
Prophages are integrated forms of phages (i.e. viruses that infect bacteria) within bacterial genomes. Beyond their role in horizontal gene transfer, prophages can carry genes that influence host metabolism and community function. They can be maintained in the host genome over generations, but they can also shift into a lytic cycle under environmental stress. This transition results in host cell lysis and the production of new viral particles, but also releases dissolved organic matter (DOM), which can be utilized by other microorganisms and influence biogeochemical cycling. This dual role in gene dissemination and carbon mobilization is particularly important in heterogenous groundwater environments, yet our understanding of prophage prevalence, activity, and function in such systems remains limited. In this study, 140 bacterial isolates from oxic and anoxic groundwater wells were evaluated for prophages, their genetic repertoire and their induction. Prophage induction resulted in host lysis and the release of viral-like particles in 37 isolates. Whole genome sequencing and analysis of these bacterial genomes revealed 118 prophage contigs, which could be grouped into 58 unique viral clusters (vOTUs). Some of these vOTUs were shared across different wells and, notably, between single isolates of the genera Pseudomonas and Azospirillum. Prophage gene analysis revealed redox-associated patterns, with lysis-related genes being enriched under anoxic conditions, and regulatory and capsid/head genes being more abundant under oxic conditions. Additionally, bacterial isolates from oxic wells harbored a higher number of auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs) per genome. DOM released during prophage induction was analyzed via DI-MS. This approach identified 993 molecular species showing significant post-induction changes. While 39% of these molecular species were linked to host-specific traits, 3% were directly attributable to phage induction. These findings expand our understanding of how redox conditions potentially influence viral-mediated modulation of host metabolism, microbial adaptation and nutrient cycling in subsurface ecosystems.
| Status Group | Postdoctoral Researcher |
|---|---|
| Poster Presentation Option | No, I prefer to present only as a talk. |
