This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Weinbauer, M. G.
Right arrow Articles by Peduzzi, P.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Weinbauer, M. G.
Right arrow Articles by Peduzzi, P.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by Weinbauer, M. G.
Right arrow Articles by Peduzzi, P.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1993 December; 59(12): 4074-4082
Copyright © 1993, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Distribution of Viruses and Dissolved DNA along a Coastal Trophic Gradient in the Northern Adriatic Sea

Markus G. Weinbauer*, Dragica Fuks and Peter Peduzzi

1 Institute of Zoology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria, and Ruder Boskovic Institute, Center for Marine Research—Rovinj, 52210 Rovinj, Croatia2

ABSTRACT

The distribution of viral and other microbial abundances as well as the concentrations of dissolved DNA (D-DNA) along a trophic gradient in the northern Adriatic Sea were determined. Virus abundances, covering a range of 1.2 x 109 to 8.7 x 1010 liter-1 were on average 2.5-fold higher in eutrophic than in mesotrophic stations. A 2.5-fold enrichment was also measured for chlorophyll a concentrations, whereas the densities of bacteria and heterotrophic nanoflagellates were only approximately 1.5-fold higher. The frequency of bacteria containing mature phage increased linearly with bacterial abundance. Assuming that mature phage is only visible during the last 14 to 27% of the latent period (L. M. Proctor, A. Okubo, and J. A. Fuhrman, Microb. Ecol. 25:161-182, 1993), we estimated that between 3.5 and 7.3% of the bacterial population was infected at mesotrophic stations versus between 7.0 and 19.5% at eutrophic stations, indicating that the bacterial mortality due to viral lysis might increase with the degree of eutrophication. The frequency of bacteria with mature phage and the burst size varied significantly with the bacterial morphotype; rod-shape cells, the most abundant morphotype, showed low infection rates but a high burst size. Concentrations of D-DNA varied significantly with season but not with trophic conditions. The estimated percentage of viral DNA on total D-DNA concentrations averaged 17.1% (range, 0.7 to 88.3%). Some kind of interaction between heterotrophic nanoflagellates and viruses is proposed. We conclude (i) that the significance of viruses varies with changing trophic conditions and (ii) that viral activity may play a significant role in food web structure under changing trophic conditions.

FOOTNOTES

* Corresponding author.

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1993 December; 59(12): 4074-4082
Copyright © 1993, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Winget, D. M., Wommack, K. E. (2008). Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA PCR as a Tool for Assessment of Marine Viral Richness. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 2612-2618 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pinchuk, G. E., Ammons, C., Culley, D. E., Li, S.-M. W., McLean, J. S., Romine, M. F., Nealson, K. H., Fredrickson, J. K., Beliaev, A. S. (2008). Utilization of DNA as a Sole Source of Phosphorus, Carbon, and Energy by Shewanella spp.: Ecological and Physiological Implications for Dissimilatory Metal Reduction. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 74: 1198-1208 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Helton, R. R., Liu, L., Wommack, K. E. (2006). Assessment of Factors Influencing Direct Enumeration of Viruses within Estuarine Sediments.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 4767-4774 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Filippini, M., Buesing, N., Bettarel, Y., Sime-Ngando, T., Gessner, M. O. (2006). Infection paradox: high abundance but low impact of freshwater benthic viruses.. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 72: 4893-4898 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bongiorni, L., Magagnini, M., Armeni, M., Noble, R., Danovaro, R. (2005). Viral Production, Decay Rates, and Life Strategies along a Trophic Gradient in the North Adriatic Sea. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71: 6644-6650 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Bettarel, Y., Sime-Ngando, T., Amblard, C., Dolan, J. (2004). Viral Activity in Two Contrasting Lake Ecosystems. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 70: 2941-2951 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Corinaldesi, C., Crevatin, E., Del Negro, P., Marini, M., Russo, A., Fonda-Umani, S., Danovaro, R. (2003). Large-Scale Spatial Distribution of Virioplankton in the Adriatic Sea: Testing the Trophic State Control Hypothesis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 2664-2673 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Matsui, K., Ishii, N., Kawabata, Z.'i. (2003). Release of Extracellular Transformable Plasmid DNA from Escherichia coli Cocultivated with Algae. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69: 2399-2404 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Alonso, M. D. C., Rodriguez, J., Borrego, J. J. (2002). Characterization of marine bacteriophages isolated from the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean). J PLANKTON RES 24: 1079-1087 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Simek, K., Pernthaler, J., Weinbauer, M. G., Hornák, K., Dolan, J. R., Nedoma, J., Masín, M., Amann, R. (2001). Changes in Bacterial Community Composition and Dynamics and Viral Mortality Rates Associated with Enhanced Flagellate Grazing in a Mesoeutrophic Reservoir. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 2723-2733 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Danovaro, R., Serresi, M. (2000). Viral Density and Virus-to-Bacterium Ratio in Deep-Sea Sediments of the Eastern Mediterranean. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 66: 1857-1861 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wommack, K. E., Colwell, R. R. (2000). Virioplankton: Viruses in Aquatic Ecosystems. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 64: 69-114 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Guixa-Boixereu, N., Lysnes, K., Pedrós-Alió, C. (1999). Viral Lysis and Bacterivory during a Phytoplankton Bloom in a Coastal Water Microcosm. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 1949-1958 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wommack, K. E., Ravel, J., Hill, R. T., Chun, J., Colwell, R. R. (1999). Population Dynamics of Chesapeake Bay Virioplankton: Total-Community Analysis by Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 231-240 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Wommack, K. E., Ravel, J., Hill, R. T., Colwell, R. R. (1999). Hybridization Analysis of Chesapeake Bay Virioplankton. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65: 241-250 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»