Host–virome associations in the weathering crust of a rapidly retreating temperate Alpine glacier
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Date
2025
Publication Type
Journal Article
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yes
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Abstract
Glaciers are retreating rapidly, altering ecosystem dynamics and increasing meltwater outflow into populated areas. Understanding microbial-virome interactions is crucial for predicting the consequences of this release. We sampled ice from four shallow pits in the weathering crust of the Rhonegletscher, Swiss Alps, and found a microbiome dominated by bacteria and microeukaryotes, alongside a metavirome infecting both groups. Viruses exhibited variable host specificity, with some targeting particular taxa and others showing a broader infectivity range. Variable genomic regions, including metagenomic and metaviromic islands, were enriched in genes related to replication, recombination, repair and transposable elements. Detected auxiliary metabolic genes were primarily involved in host coenzyme biosynthesis, uptake or utilization and in altering bacterial methylation patterns to evade detection. These findings underscore the major role of viruses in regulating microbial dynamics in glaciers and their potential downstream environmental impacts.
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published
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Journal / series
Volume
11 (10)
Pages / Article No.
1524
Publisher
Microbiology Society
Event
Edition / version
Methods
Software
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
Alpine region; Auxiliary metabolic gene (AMG); Glacier; Metagenomic island (MGI); Metavirome; Metaviromic island (MVI); Weathering crust
Organisational unit
02207 - Functional Genomics Center Zurich / Functional Genomics Center Zurich
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Related publications and datasets
References: https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.001619