New Virus Species Found Thriving in Antarctic Lakes
09.11.2009 - Water & Oceans, Ice & Snow, Flora & Fauna, Other, Antarctic
Recently researchers who collected water samples from Lake Limnopolar onLivingston Island near the Antarctic Peninsula were able to sequencethe genomes of previously unstudied viruses. This discovery is changingthe way scientists think about viruses and the role they play inmicrobial systems, according to Antonio Alcami of the Spanish National ResearchCouncil (CSIC)
According to the new genetic study conducted on the viruses, Lake Limnopolar could be home to approximately 10,000 species of viruses from about a dozen families - including some small DNA viruses that had never been seen before - whereas most regular aquatic environments typically feature species from only three to six families. The extraordinary variety of species in the lake is believed to be due to the lack of other species in the lake.
These extremophiles, which are closely related to those infecting larger animals and plants, survive by living in their hosts during nine months of scarce nutriments and light. Moreover, by sampling at various times during the year, the researchers discovered that once the ice had thawed in the austral summer, the smaller single-stranded DNA viruses that populated the lake when it was covered in ice had been replaced by larger double stranded versions.
Some of the more complex viruses may even be changing to help their hosts thrive and adapt to a sunnier summer environment, which in turn helps the viruses proliferate. The viruses contain genes involved in photosynthesis, which could be beneficial to their algae hosts as they bloom in the summer.
