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Importance of Viral Lysis and Dissolved DNA for Bacterioplankton Activity in a P-Limited Estuary, Northern Baltic Sea

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Abstract

Through lysis of bacterioplankton cells, viruses mediate an important, but poorly understood, pathway of carbon and nutrients from the particulate to the dissolved form. Via this activity, nutrient-rich cell lysates may become available to noninfected cells and support significant growth. However, the nutritional value of lysates for noninfected bacteria presumably depends on the prevailing nutrient limitation. In the present study, we examined dynamics of dissolved DNA (D-DNA) and viruses along a transect in the phosphorus (P)-limited Öre Estuary, northern Baltic Sea. We found that viruses were an important mortality factor for bacterioplankton and that their activity mediated a significant recycling of carbon and especially of P. Uptake of dissolved DNA accounted for up to 70% of the bacterioplankton P demand, and about a quarter of the D-DNA pool was supplied through viral lysis of bacterial cells. Generally, the importance of viral lysates and uptake of D-DNA was highest at the estuarine and offshore stations and was positively correlated with P limitation measured as alkaline phosphatase activity. Our results highlight the importance of viral activity for the internal recycling of principal nutrients and pinpoints D-DNA as a particularly relevant compound in microbial P dynamics.

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Acknowledgements

We thank C. Stangenberg and the rest of the staff for helping us find our way at the Umeå Marine Sciences Center. We thank J. Wester and M. Molin for help in the field, J. Wikner for providing the thymidine conversion factor, and B. Olsen, University of Kalmar, for use of PFGE equipment. This study was supported by a guest research grant from Umeå Marine Sciences Center to JT and LR and a grant from FORMAS (2006-1054) to JT.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Sciences, Kalmar University, 39182, Kalmar, Sweden

    Lasse Riemann & Karin Holmfeldt

  2. Department of Marine Ecology-Kristineberg, University of Gothenburg, Kristineberg 566, 45034, Fiskebäckskil, Sweden

    Josefin Titelman

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  1. Lasse Riemann
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  2. Karin Holmfeldt
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  3. Josefin Titelman
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Correspondence to Lasse Riemann.

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Riemann, L., Holmfeldt, K. & Titelman, J. Importance of Viral Lysis and Dissolved DNA for Bacterioplankton Activity in a P-Limited Estuary, Northern Baltic Sea. Microb Ecol 57, 286–294 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-008-9429-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-008-9429-0

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