Antarctic Marine Viruses: A Review and Future Perspectives
This review synthesizes recent research on how Antarctic marine viruses influence polar ecosystems, focusing on their distribution, diversity, and ecological roles. Antarctic waters harbor a rich assemblage of viruses, notably double-stranded DNA bacteriophages and nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruse...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research |
| Online Access: | https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/olar.0101 |
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| author | Chuan Zhai Fraser Kennedy Yantao Liang Min Wang Andrew McMinn |
| author_facet | Chuan Zhai Fraser Kennedy Yantao Liang Min Wang Andrew McMinn |
| author_sort | Chuan Zhai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This review synthesizes recent research on how Antarctic marine viruses influence polar ecosystems, focusing on their distribution, diversity, and ecological roles. Antarctic waters harbor a rich assemblage of viruses, notably double-stranded DNA bacteriophages and nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses, with the Caudovirales family being especially prominent. Recent studies have also highlighted the emerging importance of RNA viruses, particularly single-stranded RNA viruses, in regulating microbial populations. Key findings reveal a predominance of lytic cycles during periods of high microbial activity, and the presence of auxiliary metabolic genes that enhance virus–host adaptability in these extreme environments. Despite these advances, substantial gaps remain in our understanding of RNA viruses, their diversity, and their interactions with primary producers. Future research should prioritize understanding the role and function of RNA viruses, particularly in underexplored and rapidly changing regions. Examining the influence of climate change on viral dynamics is crucial, as shifts in temperature and sea ice extent may alter viral abundance, viral community composition, and infection pathways. These shifts could have far-reaching consequences for microbial food webs, biogeochemical cycling, and overall ecosystem functioning. Despite their recognized ecological importance, Antarctic marine viruses remain underexplored. Advancing our understanding of their responses to climate change is essential for predicting the future trajectory of virus-mediated processes in the Southern Ocean. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-7f697f496a7f4b5aa4a84d5209fde55a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2771-0378 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-7f697f496a7f4b5aa4a84d5209fde55a2025-08-20T03:37:08ZengAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research2771-03782025-01-01410.34133/olar.0101Antarctic Marine Viruses: A Review and Future PerspectivesChuan Zhai0Fraser Kennedy1Yantao Liang2Min Wang3Andrew McMinn4Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.College of Marine Life Sciences, Institute of Evolution and Marine Biodiversity, Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Lab of Polar Oceanography and Global Ocean Change, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China.Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.This review synthesizes recent research on how Antarctic marine viruses influence polar ecosystems, focusing on their distribution, diversity, and ecological roles. Antarctic waters harbor a rich assemblage of viruses, notably double-stranded DNA bacteriophages and nucleocytoplasmic large DNA viruses, with the Caudovirales family being especially prominent. Recent studies have also highlighted the emerging importance of RNA viruses, particularly single-stranded RNA viruses, in regulating microbial populations. Key findings reveal a predominance of lytic cycles during periods of high microbial activity, and the presence of auxiliary metabolic genes that enhance virus–host adaptability in these extreme environments. Despite these advances, substantial gaps remain in our understanding of RNA viruses, their diversity, and their interactions with primary producers. Future research should prioritize understanding the role and function of RNA viruses, particularly in underexplored and rapidly changing regions. Examining the influence of climate change on viral dynamics is crucial, as shifts in temperature and sea ice extent may alter viral abundance, viral community composition, and infection pathways. These shifts could have far-reaching consequences for microbial food webs, biogeochemical cycling, and overall ecosystem functioning. Despite their recognized ecological importance, Antarctic marine viruses remain underexplored. Advancing our understanding of their responses to climate change is essential for predicting the future trajectory of virus-mediated processes in the Southern Ocean.https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/olar.0101 |
| spellingShingle | Chuan Zhai Fraser Kennedy Yantao Liang Min Wang Andrew McMinn Antarctic Marine Viruses: A Review and Future Perspectives Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research |
| title | Antarctic Marine Viruses: A Review and Future Perspectives |
| title_full | Antarctic Marine Viruses: A Review and Future Perspectives |
| title_fullStr | Antarctic Marine Viruses: A Review and Future Perspectives |
| title_full_unstemmed | Antarctic Marine Viruses: A Review and Future Perspectives |
| title_short | Antarctic Marine Viruses: A Review and Future Perspectives |
| title_sort | antarctic marine viruses a review and future perspectives |
| url | https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/olar.0101 |
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