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Plankton blooms

Lysogeny in marine Synechococcus

Nature volume 415, page 496 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Viral infection of bacteria can be lytic, causing destruction of the host cell, or lysogenic, in which the viral genome is instead stably maintained as a prophage within its host1. Here we show that lysogeny occurs in natural populations of an autotrophic picoplankton (Synechococcus) and that there is a seasonal pattern to this interaction. Because lysogeny confers immunity to infection by related viruses1, this process may account for the resistance to viral infection seen in common forms of autotrophic picoplankton2.

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Figure 1: Seasonal induction of prophage in natural Synechococcus populations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St Petersburg, 33701, Florida, USA

    L. McDaniel, L. A. Houchin, S. J. Williamson & J. H. Paul

Authors
  1. L. McDaniel
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  2. L. A. Houchin
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  3. S. J. Williamson
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  4. J. H. Paul
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. H. Paul.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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McDaniel, L., Houchin, L., Williamson, S. et al. Lysogeny in marine Synechococcus. Nature 415, 496 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/415496a

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