Virus-host swinging party in the oceans

• DOI: 10.4161/mge.20031
• Publication Date: 2012-08-27T13:47:41Z
• Authors: Sarit Avrani; Daniel A. Schwartz; Debbie Lindell
• Keywords: Viral evolution; Evolutionary Dynamics

Bacteria and their viruses (phages) are antagonists, yet have coexisted in nature for billions of years. Models proposed to explain the paradox antagonistic coexistence generally reach two types solutions: Arms race-like dynamics that lead hosts with increasing resistance infection ranges; population fluctuations between diverse host viral due a metabolic cost resistance. Recently, we found populations marine cyanobacterium, Prochlorococcus, consist cells extreme hypervariability gene sequence content susceptibility region genome. Furthermore, novel where one set is accompanied by changes other viruses. In this combined mini-review commentary paper discuss these findings context existing ecological, evolutionary genetic models host-virus coexistence. We suggest governed mainly microbial subpopulations differing regions driven both enhanced costs leads passive host-switching viruses, preventing development universal These highlight vital importance community complexity