Marine bacteriophage

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Marine bacteriophages or marine phages are viruses that live as obligate parasitic agents in marine bacteria such as cyanobacteria.[1] Their existence was discovered through electron microscopy and epifluorescence microscopy of ecological water samples, and later through metagenomic sampling of uncultured viral samples.[2][1] The tailed bacteriophages appear to dominate marine ecosystems in number and diversity of organisms.[1]

Bacteriophages, viruses that are parasitic on bacteria, were first discovered in the early twentieth century. Scientists today consider that their importance in ecosystems, particularly marine ecosystems, has been underestimated, leading to these infectious agents being poorly investigated and their numbers and species biodiversity being greatly under reported.[3]

[edit] Marine phages

Marine phages, although microscopic and essentially unnoticed by scientists until recently, appear to be the most abundant and diverse form of DNA replicating agent on the planet. They appear to influence biogeochemical cycles globally, provide and regulate microbial biodiversity, cycle carbon through marine food webs, and are essential in preventing bacterial population explosions.[4] Scientists are exploring the potential of marine cyanophages to be used to prevent or reverse eutrophication.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c Mann, NH (2005-05-17). "[7885/3/5/pdf/10.1371_journal.pbio.0030182-S.pdf The third age of phage]". PloS Biol 3 (5): 753-755. United States: Public Library of Science. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0030182. 
  2. ^ Wommack, K. Eric; Russell T. Hill, Terri A. Muller, and Rita R. Colwell (April 1996). "Effects of sunlight on bacteriophage viability and structure". Applied and Environmental Microbiology 62 (4): 1336-1341. United States of America: American Society for Microbiology. 
  3. ^ Kellogg, CA; JB Rose, SC Jiang, and JM Thurmond, and JH Paul (1995). "Genetic diversity of related vibriophages isolated from marine environments around Florida and Hawaii, USA". Marine Ecology Progress Series 120 (1-3): 89-98. Germany: Inter-Research Science Center. 
  4. ^ Waldor, M; D Friedman S Adhya, editors (2005). Phages: their role in bacterial pathogenesis and biotechnology. Washington DC: ASM Press, 450. ISBN 978-1555813079.