Year: 2003
Type: article
Abstract: MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 254:27-35 (2003) - doi:10.3354/meps254027 Stable coexistence in marine algal host-virus systems Runar Thyrhaug1,2,*, Aud Larsen1, T. Frede Thingstad1, Gunnar Bratbak1 1Department of Microbiology, University of Bergen, Jahnebakken 5, Postbox 7800, 5020 Bergen, Norway 2Present address: Nordland Research Institute, 8049 Bodø, Norway *Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT: All microalgal host-virus systems isolated to date are lytic: the viruses lyse the infected hosts within hours after infection. Moreover, current models of phytoplankton host-virus interactions predict rapid extinction of both host and virus. Nevertheless, marine phytoplankton and their respective viruses do coexist in marine ecosystems. To investigate this apparent paradox we performed a series of experiments which show that phytoplankton populations always recover after virus-induced lysis and that endemic viral infections may promote survival of the host population. We hypothesize that phenotypic plasticity of algal susceptibility to viral infection makes such coexistence of host and virus possible. KEY WORDS: Phytoplankton · Marine viruses · Coexistence · Viral ecology Full text in pdf format PreviousNextExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 254. Online publication date: June 04, 2003 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2003 Inter-Research.
Source: Marine Ecology Progress Series
DOI: 10.3354/meps254027
Authors: R Thyrhaug, A Larsen, TF Thingstad, G Bratbak
Institutions: University of Bergen, Nordland Research Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Virology
Field: Immunology and Microbiology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2064346427