Lineage-specific expansions of polinton-like viruses in photosynthetic cryptophytes

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F25%3A00646964" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/25:00646964 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

<a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-025-02148-0" target="_blank" >https://doi.org/10.1186/s40168-025-02148-0</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40168-025-02148-0" target="_blank" >10.1186/s40168-025-02148-0</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Lineage-specific expansions of polinton-like viruses in photosynthetic cryptophytes

Original language description

Background Polinton-like viruses (PLVs) are diverse eukaryotic DNA viral elements (14-40 kb) that often undergo significant expansion within protist genomes through repeated insertion events. Emerging evidence indicates they function as antiviral defense systems in protists, reducing the progeny yield of their infecting giant viruses (phylum Nucleocytoviricota) and influencing the population dynamics and evolution of both viruses and their hosts. While many PLVs have been identified within the genomes of sequenced protists, most were recovered from metagenomic data. Even with the large number of PLVs identified from metagenomic data, their host-virus linkages remain unknown owing to the scarcity of ecologically relevant protist genomes. Additionally, the extent of PLV diversification within abundant freshwater taxa remains undetermined. In order to tackle these questions, high-quality genomes of abundant and representative taxa that bridge genomic and metagenomic PLVs are necessary. In this regard, cryptophytes, which are among the most widely distributed, abundant organisms in freshwaters and have remained largely out of bounds of genomic and metagenomic approaches, are ideal candidates for investigating the diversification of such viral elements both in cellular and environmental context. Results We leveraged long-read sequencing to recover large (200-600 Mb), high-quality, and highly repetitive (> 60%) genomes of representative freshwater and marine photosynthetic cryptophytes. We uncovered over a thousand complete PLVs within these genomes, revealing vast lineage-specific expansions, particularly in the common freshwater cryptophyte Rhodomonas lacustris. By combining deep sequence homology annotation with biological network analyses, we discern well-defined PLV groups defined by characteristic gene-sharing patterns and the use of distinct strategies for replication and integration within host genomes. Finally, the PLVs recovered from these cryptophyte genomes also allow us to assign host-virus linkages in environmental sequencing data. Conclusions Our findings provide a primer for understanding the evolutionary history, gene content, modes of replication and infection strategies of cryptophyte PLVs, with special emphasis on their expansion as endogenous viral elements (EVEs) in freshwater bloom-forming R. lacustris.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10607 - Virology

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Microbiome

ISSN

2049-2618

e-ISSN

2049-2618

Volume of the periodical

13

Issue of the periodical within the volume

1

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

24

Pages from-to

154

UT code for WoS article

001521251900002

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-105009543678