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Are phytoplankton population density maxima predictable through analysis of host and viral genomic DNA content?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2006

Chris M. Brown
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, PO Bag Service 45111, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 6E1, Canada Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick, E4L 1G7, Canada
Janice E. Lawrence
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, PO Bag Service 45111, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 6E1, Canada
Douglas A. Campbell
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, PO Bag Service 45111, Fredericton, New Brunswick, E3B 6E1, Canada Department of Biology, Mount Allison University, Sackville, New Brunswick, E4L 1G7, Canada
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Abstract

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Phytoplankton:virus interactions are important factors in aquatic nutrient cycling and community succession. The number of viral progeny resulting from an infection of a cell critically influences the propagation of infection and concomitantly the dynamics of phytoplankton populations. Host nucleotide content may be the resource limiting viral particle assembly. We present evidence for a strong linear correlation between measured viral burst sizes and viral burst sizes predicted from the host DNA content divided by the viral genome size, across a diversity of phytoplankton:viral pairs. An analysis of genome sizes therefore supports predictions of taxon-specific phytoplankton population density thresholds beyond which viral proliferation can trim populations or terminate phytoplankton blooms. We present corollaries showing that host:virus interactions may place evolutionary pressure towards genome reduction of both phytoplankton hosts and their viruses.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2006 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom