Cyanobacterial viruses exhibit diurnal rhythms during infection

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1819689116
• Publication Date: 2019-06-25T13:13:29Z
• Authors: Riyue Liu; Yaxin Liu; Yue Chen; Yuanchao Zhan; Qinglu Zeng
• Keywords: Prochlorococcus; Diurnal cycle

Significance To adapt to the daily light–dark cycle, diurnal rhythms are used by photosynthetic cyanobacteria Prochlorococcus and Synechococcus , which most abundant organisms on earth. Field studies revealed that cyanobacterial virus (cyanophage) populations in oceans showed transcriptional rhythms. explore underlying mechanism, we cyanophage laboratory cultures find some adsorption all We discovered rhythm is partially caused activity of host cells, explaining field populations. Our study shows cultured viruses have infection critical for understanding how cycles shape interaction cyanophages their hosts oceans.