Genomes from Uncultivated Pelagiphages Reveal Multiple Phylogenetic Clades Exhibiting Extensive Auxiliary Metabolic Genes and Cross-Family Multigene Transfers
Fabian Wittmers, David M. Needham, Elisabeth Hehenberger, Stephen J. Giovannoni, Alexandra Z. Worden
Abstract
ecology; however, several Pelagiphage lineages are represented by only a few genomes. This paucity of data from even the most widespread lineages has imposed limits on the understanding of the diversity of Pelagiphages and their impacts on hosts. Here, we report 80 complete genomes, assembled directly from environmental data, which are from undescribed Pelagiphages and render new insights into the manipulation of host metabolism during infection. Notably, the viruses have functionally related partner genes that appear to be transferred between distant viruses, including a suite that encode a secretion system which both brings a new functional capability to the host and is abundant in phages across the ocean. Together, these functions have important implications for phage evolution and for how Pelagiphage infection influences host biology in manners extending beyond canonical viral lysis and mortality.