Document of bibliographic reference 367006

BibliographicReference record

Type

Bibliographic resource

Type of document

Journal article

BibLvlCode

AS

Title

Highly divergent CRESS DNA and picorna-like viruses associated with bleached thalli of the green seaweed Ulva

Abstract

Marine macroalgae (seaweeds) are important primary producers and foundation species in coastal ecosystems around the world. Seaweeds currently contribute to an estimated 51% of the global mariculture production, with a long-term growth rate of 6% per year, and an estimated market value of more than US$11.3 billion. Viral infections could have a substantial impact on the ecology and aquaculture of seaweeds, but surprisingly little is known about virus diversity in macroalgal hosts. Using metagenomic sequencing, we characterized viral communities associated with healthy and bleached specimens of the commercially important green seaweed Ulva. We identified 20 putative new and divergent viruses, of which the majority belonged to the Circular Rep-Encoding Single-Stranded (CRESS) DNA viruses [single-stranded (ss)DNA genomes], Durnavirales [double-stranded (ds)RNA], and Picornavirales (ssRNA). Other newly identified RNA viruses were related to the Ghabrivirales, the Mitoviridae, and the Tombusviridae. Bleached Ulva samples contained particularly high viral read numbers. While reads matching assembled CRESS DNA viruses and picorna-like viruses were nearly absent from the healthy Ulva samples (confirmed by qPCR), they were very abundant in the bleached specimens. Therefore, bleaching in Ulva could be caused by one or a combination of the identified viruses but may also be the result of another causative agent or abiotic stress, with the viruses simply proliferating in already unhealthy seaweed tissue. This study highlights how little we know about the diversity and ecology of seaweed viruses, especially in relation to the health and diseases of the algal host, and emphasizes the need to better characterize the algal virosphere.

WebOfScience code

https://www.webofscience.com/wos/woscc/full-record/WOS:001107303900012

Bibliographic citation

van der Loos, L.M.; De Coninck, L.; Zell, R.; Lequime, S.; Willems, A.; De Clerck, O.; Matthijnssens, J. (2023). Highly divergent CRESS DNA and picorna-like viruses associated with bleached thalli of the green seaweed Ulva. Microbiology Spectrum 11(5): 1-25. https://dx.doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.00255-23

Topic

Marine

Is peer reviewed

true

Access rights

open access

Is accessible for free

true