Marine viruses s mulate carbon flux to lower and higher trophic levels
Sheri A. Floge1, Jesica D. Waller2, David M. Fields3 and Ma hew B. Sullivan4 1 Wake Forest University, 2Maine Department of Marine Resources, 3Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, 4The Ohio State University
BACKGROUND RESULTS CONCLUSIONS
• Phytoplankton play cri cal roles in 1. VIRUSES ENHANCE C and N FLUX TO ZOOPLANKTON • Marine viruses enhance C transfer from biogeochemical cycles, including picophytoplankton to higher trophic
transforming atmospheric CO2 into levels (copepods). 12 6 ) 13 13 - Virus par culate ma er that eventually sinks 4 Copepod C Copepod C • Marine viruses also s mulate DOC 4 + Virus to the deep ocean (the biological carbon 8 2 release and bacterial growth (C transfer C (x10
pump). 13 0 4 to lower trophic levels). δ Normalized • The fate of carbon (C) within the oceans Δ -2 In both a culture-based • Picophytoplankton viruses s mulate 0 -4 is controlled by individual interac ons in simplified plankton food web zooplankton feeding and fecal pellet a highly complex and interconnected and a natural community,
) 15 60 15 forma on, thereby poten ally facilita ng marine food web. 4 50 Copepod N Copepod N addi on of viruses infec ng 40 picophytoplankton leads to C export to the deep sea. 40 • Independent analyses of global datasets N (x10 30 increased C and N flux from 15 20 picophytoplankton to copepods. δ revealed a strong posi ve link between Normalized 20 Δ viruses and C flux to the deep ocean1, 2. 10 0 0 • Mechanisms underlying virus-enhanced 0 12 24 36 48 0 12 24 36 48 FUTURE DIRECTIONS C transfer to par culate organic ma er Time (h) Time (h) (POM) are unknown. Culture experiment Field experiment Intact, virus-infected cells release a range of dissolved organic substances, including chemoa ractants, but li le is known about Carnivores 2. VIRUSES ENHANCE COPEPOD FECAL PELLET PRODUCTION Phytoplankton Grazers the composi on and impact of viral-derived A. tonsa fecal pellet organic compounds on microbial interac on and the mixotroph Fecal pellet production Viruses P-D-OM Ochromonas sp. dynamics. 0.8 - Virus -1 h Acar a tonsa fecal pellet -1 + Virus Current work includes use of: Heterotrophic bacteria CO2 produc on was >2x higher in • Microfluidics to quan fy the the presence of viruses infec ng 0.4 the picophytoplankton chemotac c response of various Pellets animal 3 Ostreococcus tauri. marine microbes to dissolved organic Food web demonstra ng the “viral shunt” . 100 μm 0.0 ma er (DOM) released from intact, Viral shunt paradigm. Viruses enhance C and 0-12 h 12-24 h virus-infected picophytoplankton. nutrient recycling and reduce upward trophic transfer and export of carbon • Chip-based microbial food webs to 3. VIRUSES FACILITATE GROWTH OF BACTERIA AND characterize viral impacts on micron- HETEROTROPHIC PROTISTS scale predator-prey interac ons.
)
7 Viruses Bacteria 8 ) 30 5 • Untargeted stable isotope enabled (x10 -1 OBJECTIVES 6 (x10 20 - Virus -1 mass spectrometry to iden fy novel + Virus Quan fy viral impacts on trophic transfer of 4 10 viral-derived chemoa ractants. Cells mL
Particles mL 2 0 carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) using a We observed viral-s mulated forma on of 13 ) 2.0 Synechococcus ) Heterotrophic protists Field experiments revealed that
combina on of stable isotope labeling ( C, 4 2 aggregates >500 μm. 15 20 <20 µm enrichment of a natural virus community N), fluorescence ac vated cell sor ng 1.8 (x10 OCB Summer (x10 Workshop 2019 -1 -1 resulted in reduced Synechococcus 10 • Quan fying viral impacts on marine (FACS) and isotope ra o mass spectrometry 1.6 growth, increased bacterial growth, and (IRMS) in a mock plankton community and increased growth of heterotrophic pro sts aggregate forma on is essen al to Cells mL 1.4 Cells mL 0 a coastal ocean ecosystem. 0 12 24 36 48 0 12 24 36 48 feeding upon Synechococcus. understanding C export. Time (h) Time (h)
METHODS:
1. SIMPLIFIED MARINE PLANKTON FOOD WEB 2. COASTAL ATLANTIC OCEAN FIELD EXPERIMENT 13 - 15 - H CO3 , NO3
1 mm 13 • The picophytoplankton, Ostreococcus tauri, (RCC4221) was grown with C-labeled sodium Field site Sampling site: high tide 15 bicarbonate and N-labeled sodium nitrate for 48 h. 13 15 100 µm C, N Whole seawater (60 L) • The cells were then washed and resuspended in stable-isotope free seawater, enabling us to 36 h Incubate in situ 36 h Meso- trace the flow of C and N from the picophytoplankton to other members of the plankton zooplankton community. Fecal Isolate labeled phytoplankton pellets • One treatment contained the ly c virus OtV5, that infects only the Ostreococcus tauri Micro- via serial filtra on and FACS picophytoplankton; one treatment contained no OtV5. zooplankton DOC • Five biological replicates per treatment. 13C-labeled
natural phytoplankton • Other model organisms added: the nanoautotroph Isochrysis galbana (CCMP1323), the • Field experiments conducted in July 2016, Boothbay, Maine, during a Synechococcus bloom. Mixotroph mixotroph Ochromonas sp. (CCMP1391), the microzooplankton Oxyrrhis marina (CCMP3375), 13 15 <28 μm + viral • Whole seawater was incubated in situ for 36 h with NaH CO3 and Na NO3 and the calenoid copepod Acar a tonsa. concentrate • 13C, 15N-labeled phytoplankton <28 nm were isolated via fluorescence ac vated cell sor ng Nano- • 4 4 Bacteria Heterotrophic bacteria in the model community were derived from the copepods and non- (FACS) and re-mixed at in situ concentra ons with a natural plankton assemblage <210 μm. autotroph 1 µm axenic plankton cultures. biological biological • One treatment received 40% more viruses (isolated and concentrated from field site). 13 13 replicates replicates 13 Lytic algal • Samples were collected at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 h for virus and organism abundance, C-DIC, C- NaH CO3 13 15 13 15 • Both treatments received adult, female Acar a tonsa, isolated from field site, as the apex 15 Pico- virus DOC, C-POC, N-PON, and copepod C and N. Na NO3 predator in the food web. phytoplankton autotroph phytoplankton • Samples were collected at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48 h for virus and organism abundance, 13C-DIC, 13C- + zooplankton + zooplankton Arrows represent possible Eight orders of magnitude difference in organism DOC, 13C-POC, 15N-PON, and copepod 13C and 15N. + ambient viruses + 40% more viruses C flux pathways C content and volume from bo om to top of food web (No virus enrichment) (With viral enrichment)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS REFERENCES This work was supported by Na onal Science Founda on Biological Oceanography (award #1829905), the A. O. Beckman Founda on 1. Guidi et al. 2016. Plankton networks driving carbon export in the oligotrophic ocean. Nature 532: 465-473. (Postdoctoral Fellowship Program), and the Gordon and Be y Moore Founda on (GBMF #3790, 3305). We also thank Bigelow 2. Brum et al. 2015. Pa erns and ecological drivers of ocean viral communi es. Science 348: 1261498. 3. Wilhelm, S. W., and C. A. Su le. 1999. Viruses and nutrient cycles in the sea. Bioscience 49: 781-788. Analy cal Services and the J. J. MacIsaac Center for Aqua c Cytometry for facili es support.