Global diversity and ecological functions of viruses inhabiting oil reservoirs

Liyun An, Xinwu Liu, Jianwei Wang, Jinbo Xu, Xiaoli Chen, Xiaonan Liu, Bingxin Hu, Yong Nie () and Xiao-Lei Wu ()
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Liyun An: Sichuan University
Xinwu Liu: Peking University
Jianwei Wang: Peking University
Jinbo Xu: Peking University
Xiaoli Chen: Peking University
Xiaonan Liu: Peking University
Bingxin Hu: Peking University
Yong Nie: Peking University
Xiao-Lei Wu: Sichuan University

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: Abstract Oil reservoirs, being one of the significant subsurface repositories of energy and carbon, host diverse microbial communities affecting energy production and carbon emissions. Viruses play crucial roles in the ecology of microbiomes, however, their distribution and ecological significance in oil reservoirs remain undetermined. Here, we assemble a catalogue encompassing viral and prokaryotic genomes sourced from oil reservoirs. The catalogue comprises 7229 prokaryotic genomes and 3,886 viral Operational Taxonomic Units (vOTUs) from 182 oil reservoir metagenomes. The results show that viruses are widely distributed in oil reservoirs, and 85% vOTUs in oil reservoir are detected in less than 10% of the samples, highlighting the heterogeneous nature of viral communities within oil reservoirs. Through combined microcosm enrichment experiments and bioinformatics analysis, we validate the ecological roles of viruses in regulating the community structure of sulfate reducing microorganisms, primarily through a virulent lifestyle. Taken together, this study uncovers a rich diversity of viruses and their ecological functions within oil reservoirs, offering a comprehensive understanding of the role of viral communities in the biogeochemical cycles of the deep biosphere.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51101-6

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